Almost daily we encounter such an animal as a hare. Lovers affectionately call each other this word, children are presented with toys in the form of this cute eared animal, and cartoons with the participation of all kinds of bunnies often flash on monitors. But what about real animals? Where, and most importantly, how do they survive? We know that in the wild they live in groves, taiga and steppes. But not everyone knows what the hare eats in the forest and what helps him survive in the wild. Therefore, it is worthwhile to analyze this topic in more detail.
Types and differences of "eared"
Back in school, in a biology lesson, children are told that two species of hares live in our territory - the hare and the brown. Although in summer these animals are similar to each other, they nevertheless differ from each other in several ways. Even in hot weather, a difference in their color is noticeable. The hare is slightly lighter than the hare. The photo shows that the last coat is brownish-gray, and the tail is black with a white fluff from the bottom, while the tail has always a light tail. Also, adult russians are usually larger than their counterparts. They have longer ears and tails. With the advent of winter, they do not change their color, and the whites acquire a fur coat in the color of snow.
Habitat
Before you find out what hares eat in nature, you should find out where their range is. If we talk about whites, they are more often found in the tundra zone and forests, which are diluted with meadows and rivulets. Of course, if these are impassable forests that are densely overgrown with trees, you won’t meet the whitewash, because he chooses the places where bushes grow or near agricultural areas. In such lands it is easier for them to find food regardless of the time of year. You can hardly find them in the southern parts of the country. But the brown hare chooses open places - the outskirts of fields, steppes and meadows. If it is found in the forest, most likely there is a large space nearby. The lifestyle of these two species is different.
Brown hare
An adult reaches 50-70 cm in length, and weighs an average of 6 kilograms. Although this species does not change color by winter, in the autumn they still molt in order to “dress” in a warmer coat. Also in the new robe, his sides have a slightly lighter shade, but in appearance the same hare remains. The photo above shows that, despite the arrival of winter, “eared” retain a gray-brown color. Such color stability is due to the fact that grouse live in the area where snow can change dramatically with a thaw. On snowy days, these hares usually sit out and try not to even run out to forage, so as not to flicker dark before the enemies. In addition, this animal belongs to the nocturnal species, so during the day it hides in the bushes or in deep places.
White hair
Although these hares are slightly smaller than the grouse, they are still considered large. The length of an adult whit is 44-65 cm, and weight can reach 4-6 kilograms. His ears are about 9 centimeters. The color of the fur changes to white for winter. Only the ends of the ears remain dark. In the summer, depending on the territorial residence, its fur ranges from reddish-gray to gray with brown fur. The tail is rounded. If the hare lives in a more southerly territory, where the snow does not last long in winter, its coat retains its summer color. It is easy to answer the question of what the hare eats, by observing its lifestyle. These animals try to stay on the forest land, because here you can eat young bark and berries of shrubs.
What do rabbits eat?
It is worth noting that these long-eared animals are real vegetarians - they do not even eat insects. In biology textbooks, hares are called herbivores, but not only various types of herbs are included in their diet , but also
twigs of bushes, leaves, roots, tubers and berries. Since they do not stock up for the winter, the question arises of what the hare eats in the forest during severe frosts. When snow falls, the animals choose young trees with soft bark, stand on their hind legs and gnaw at it. At this time of the year, hares try to stay closer to the fields where the remnants of crops remain or winter varieties are already sown. Some individuals come closer to the countryside, because here you can profit from hay.
In heavy snowfalls or rains, the animals remain in shelters and do not go out in search of food. In order to nourish themselves with protein at these moments, they select their litter, which, getting into the digestive tract, is digested like ordinary food.
Some people believe that the favorite treat of hares is cabbage, and they even wonder: what does the hare eat in the forest if there are no cabbages? In fact, the fact that the "eared" have a special love for this vegetable is a myth. Rather, the hare will prefer beets, cucumbers and potatoes. Even cases are known when the “oblique” ravaged the fields with these crops.
Hare
With the onset of cold weather, the hare begins the mating season, and already in February
offspring appear. Since we found out what the hare eats in winter, it’s worth to find out how young hares survive at this time of the year. After the birth, the mother feeds them and immediately leaves for several days, so as not to attract a predator with their smell (babies do not emit aromas). After a couple of days, she returns to the next feeding - and runs away again. Kids usually have enough rabbit milk to hold out for many hours. Seven days later, little teeth appear in the crumbs, and after another three they begin to chew the weed that the hare has lined in their hole.
Hare and man
Some, looking at the cute little pussies, try to tame them. But in order to provide him with proper care, you need to know what the hare eats in the forest free. It is better not to give the animal that food that is unusual for him by nature. Although it is possible to train a hare to eat meat, you should not “mock” the herbivore. People who breed these animals have noticed how long-eared love corn. Thanks to this product, the bunny quickly grows up and is not prone to diseases. If you keep this animal at home, in the summer you should stock up on grass, which can be dried in the sun, and in winter - give it to your pet.
Some facts about hares
We learned about how the hare lives and what it eats (roe and white hare), but many will
It is interesting to know a few facts about these cute animals.
- Hares are very common inhabitants of our planet, they are found in any part of the world except Antarctica.
- The long ears of the animal help him escape from overheating. Through this “channel” heat is removed from the body. Also, during rain, the animal presses its ears to the body, otherwise, if water gets inside, it will become sick.
- This beast is very hardy. It can maintain a speed of 50 km / h for a long time and at the same time continue to make turns.
- In total there are 45 species of hares, which are divided by zoologists into three groups: rabbits, tree hares and real hares.
- Only relatively recently have scientists assigned these animals the species of rabbit. Prior to this, they were considered a species of rodents.
- Males live 5 years, females - 9. In captivity, some can become centenarians and reach 13 years. In freedom, hares die even young from the clutches of predatory animals and rarely live to old age.
- In winter, the fur grows near the little beast - protection from cold air.
- It is known that the hare is popularly called the “scythe”, but it is by no means cross-eyed. The hare got such a nickname because of his mobility, because the animal constantly confuses the tracks.
- Between themselves, the “oblique” ones communicate by knocking with their paws, stuffing them like drumsticks.
- These animals divide the territory, and even during the rescue from a predatory beast, the hare will not run into someone else's territory.
- Since the long-eared constantly gnaw on the bark, their teeth are abraded, but new ones will replace them.
- In history, there is a case when a hare had all the habits of a dog, since he was fed and raised by a dog. Bunny attacked other people's dogs and bit.