The Seasonal Cycles of the Snowshoe Hare

Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson / Wikimedia Commons

The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) inhabits North American forests. Its fur changes color with the seasons, turning brown in the summer and white in the winter to help with camouflage. This color change makes it more difficult for predators to spot the hare.

The population of snowshoe hares undergoes a regular cycle every 8 to 11 years. During peak periods, there can be as many as 3,000 hares in a single square kilometer. However, during low points in the cycle, their numbers can decrease to fewer than 10. These fluctuations are primarily influenced by predators and food scarcity.

(Photo: 0x010C/Wikimedia Commons)