Found across Canada, Alaska, and into the northern United States, this hare is built for life in cold forests, swamps, and thickets. Its most striking feature is its seasonal coat change: in summer, the snowshoe hare wears a brown coat that blends with dirt and undergrowth, but in winter, it molts into a pure white coat that camouflages it against snow. This ability to change color with the seasons is rare among mammals and has made the snowshoe hare a symbol of survival and adaptability in harsh northern climates.

What makes the snowshoe hare unique is not only its coat but also its oversized feet—the feature that inspired its name. These large, furry hind feet act like natural snowshoes, spreading their weight across the snow so it can move quickly without sinking. They are remarkable runners and leapers, capable of bursts up to 27 mph (43 km/h) and jumps of up to 10 feet (3 meters) in a single bound. These adaptations allow the hare to escape predators like lynxes, foxes, and owls, which rely heavily on it as a primary food source. In fact, the snowshoe hare is so central to northern ecosystems that its population cycles have a ripple effect across the entire food web. Every 7–11 years, hare populations rise and fall dramatically, and predator numbers rise and fall with them in a classic boom-and-bust cycle.

Behaviorally, snowshoe hares are mostly nocturnal, feeding under the cover of darkness to avoid predators. Their diet shifts with the seasons—green vegetation in summer and twigs, bark, and buds in winter. They are solitary and highly cautious, relying on camouflage and stillness as much as speed to survive. A hare sitting motionless in the snow is almost invisible until it suddenly explodes into motion, vanishing with a flurry of leaps. In breeding season, however, males become more active and sometimes engage in playful “boxing” matches to win mates.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Canada

2018

United States

2018