Populations peak every 8–11 years and then sharply decline, with densities decreasing up to 100-fold. Photo by Kerry T. Nickou. Belly, whitish; face, legs and throat, cinnamon; ears, brown with black tips, edged in white; tail, black above and white below. These food sources often do not meet the lynx's nutritional needs. Hare Physical Attributes and The Winter Environment Snowshoe hares are renowned for their ability to move and hide in snow-covered woodlands, as they use their enormous hind feet and white winter coat to avoid an array of predators. Description. When hares are plentiful, lynx eat little else and take about two hares every three days. Snowshoe hare is the primary food of the lynx. Why Climate Change Could Be Bad News For Snowshoe Hares (And Lynx) The snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus ) has mastered the art of camouflage. Before people built snowshoes, nature provided examples. Snowshoe hares never were very common in Pennsylvania, according to Duane Diefenbach. The origin and age of snowshoes are not precisely known, although historians believe they were invented from 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, probably starting in Central Asia. Hind feet, broad. The interaction between a specialist predator and its prey can lead to population cycles, and this occurs between both the snowshoe hare and the Canadian lynx and voles and mustelids. Population numbers usually go from roughly 500 hares per square mile then gradually down to very scarce amounts. Researchers at the University of Montana recently discovered that hybridization played an important role in snowshoe hares… Summer - rust or dark brown with a blackish mid-back line and grayish sides. Hunting regulations were set in 2014. Yet, surviving a winter is no easy task in the northern latitudes of North America. small claws hope you enjoyed. In warm times, its coat is a muddled brown, easily blending into a background of trees, rocks, and dirt. The population cycle of the snowshoe hare is the best studied and most famous. This year’s hunting periods are from September 2nd, 2014 through April 4, … One of the more dramatic ecological patterns known is the boom-and-bust cycle of snowshoe hare populations in the boreal forests of North America. These fairly plentiful animals are hunted as a food resource and for their fur, which is used to make clothing. Traditionally, the arctic hare has been important to Native Americans. First, like its name suggests, it has snowshoes as feet. Why Wear Snowshoes? Yet, surviving a winter is no easy task in … by Tom Sobal. Snowshoe Hare. Lepus americanus. 2 min read. Distinguishing Features - Overall colouration: Winter - varying degrees of white; tips of ears, black. The population cycles of these two species are closely linked. This is the time of year we all eat too much and spend too much time sitting on couches, indoors. Throughout their range, hares are important in the diets of various carnivorous birds, mammals, and reptiles. It is very important to the taiga because many predators depend on it to survive. Predation is believed to be responsible for … After completing research recently on their distribution and habitat preferences, the adjunct associate professor of wildlife in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is convinced the state is in danger of losing them altogether. The snowshoe hare certainly plays an interesting role in the ecological theatre of the Canadian boreal forest ecosystem. Lynx prey upon mice, voles, squirrels, grouse, ptarmigan and carrion when hares are scarce. Researchers have noticed an exceptional number of white snowshoe hares on brown earth. Hare Physical Attributes and The Winter Environment Snowshoe hares are renowned for their ability to move and hide in snow-covered woodlands, as they use their enormous hind feet and white winter coat to avoid an array of predators. Floatation is the ability of a snowshoe to limit how far your feet sink down into deep or soft snow. Mismatched snowshoe hare in its white winter coat. The snowshoe hare is a four-legged hamburger on the menu of most every mid-sized forest predator that walks or flies. prepare to be amazed snowshoe hare vs arctic hare kingdom; animalia phylum;chordata class;mammalia They are white when weather conditions warrant it so that they can easily blend into their surroundings. Throughout their range, hares are important in the diets of various carnivorous birds, mammals, and reptiles.