The Snowshoe Hare turns white in winter and brown in summer, with the seasonal molt timed to match local snow conditions. Its large, fur-covered hind feet spread wide on snow, functioning like snowshoes and allowing travel over deep powder that would slow predators. Snowshoe hare populations undergo dramatic 10-year cycles that drive corresponding cycles in lynx and other boreal predators.
Habitat
Boreal forests, willow thickets, and brushy montane slopes
Diet
Grasses and forbs in summer; bark, twigs, and buds in winter
How common
Common
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