Stats

Lifespan

1-5 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Crepuscular

Social

Solitary

Biome

Boreal forest

Range

North America

Movement

Hopping

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

A northern hare whose coat flips from brown to snow-white each winter, camouflaging it against forest snowpack. Its oversized, fur-padded hind feet act like natural snowshoes, spreading its weight so it can outrun predators across deep, powdery snow.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn kit

   A blind, nearly hairless kit nurses briefly each day and stays hidden in the burrow or form.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A weaned juvenile is fully furred and venturing out to graze, still small and easily startled.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown and able to breed.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Lagomorpha

Family

Leporidae

Genus

Lepus

Species

Lepus americanus