Hares what do they eat

He discovered the carnivorous hares after setting up wildlife cameras on animal carcasses as a side project to his main research. While it's already known in the scientific community that some herbivores occasionally indulge in meat-eating, what surprised Peers was that the hares scavenged "quite frequently and for long periods of time.

Hares scavenged 20 of the carcasses the researchers deployed for the study and some of the hares appeared to defend carcasses from other hares. There were two other discoveries that shocked Peers. He captured two different hares eating grouse feathers over a several-day period. He thinks his photos are the first documented occurrence of this behaviour.

He said his findings add to a growing body of evidence that animals aren't as easily classified as herbivores or carnivores as once thought.

Ben Davis March 2, What do African hares eat? Are hares omnivores? Are hares vegetarian? What are hares favorite food? What can kill a hare? Is a hare dangerous? What is the lifespan of a hare? How do you tell a male from a female hare? Why are rabbits called Coneys? Why do we say Bunny? Groups of males gather around females who are ready to mate, following the females as they move about their home ranges. Both males and females have multiple mates. Breeding season for snowshoe hares runs from mid-March through August.

Pregnancy lasts 36 days. When labor approaches, female hares become highly aggressive and intolerant of males. They go to a birthing area, where they have prepared an area of packed down grasses. Females give birth to litters of up to 8 young, although the average litter size is usually two to four young. Litters born late in the season tend to be larger than litters born in the spring.

Females may have up to four litters a year, depending on enviromental conditions. Males and females become mature within a year of their birth. Young snowshoe hares are born fully furred and able to move around.

The young hide in separate places during the day, only coming together for 5 to 10 minutes at a time to nurse. The female alone cares for them until they are weaned and ready to go off on their own, about four weeks after they are born.

Individuals may live up to 5 years in the wild. Carey and Judge, ; Kurta, Snowshoe hares are typically solitary, but they often live near many other hares, and individuals share overlapping home ranges.

They are active at low light levels and so are most often seen out and about at dawn, dusk, and during the night. They are also active on cloudy days. During the daylight hours, hares spend a great deal of time grooming, and they take occasional naps.

They are most active along pathways, trampled down "roads" in the vegetation that the hares know very thoroughly. Hares like to take dust baths. These help to remove parasites, such as fleas and lice , from the hares' fur. Snowshoe hares are also good swimmers.

They occasionally swim across small lakes and rivers, and they have been seen entering the water in order to avoid predators. During its active period, a hare may cover up to 0. Snowshoe hares have excellent hearing, which helps them to identify approaching predators. They are not particularly vocal animals, but may make loud squealing sounds when captured.

When fighting with each other, these animals may hiss and snort. Hares are larger than rabbits and have longer ears. Hares will give birth to their babies in open areas while rabbits give birth in burrows that are hidden. Because they are born with less protection, hares are fully covered in fur and have their eyes wide open when they are born. They like to live in areas that have plenty of trees, bushes, and other vegetation that can hide them.