Snowshoe hare

The snowshoe hare is a North American hare with large, fur-covered feet and a coat that turns white in winter and brown in summer. Its populations fluctuate in roughly decadal cycles shaped by predators and food availability.

Seasonal camouflage: Coloration that changes with the seasons to match recurring shifts in an organism’s surroundings. The hare’s coat switches between brown and white as snow cover changes.
Lagomorpha: The mammalian order containing hares, rabbits, and pikas. Snowshoe hares belong to this order, distinct from rodents despite superficial similarities.
Canada lynx: A North American wild cat that relies heavily on snowshoe hares as prey. Lynx abundance and distribution are closely tied to the hare’s population cycles.
Hudson’s Bay Company records: Historical records of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur trade, including long-running counts of traded animal pelts. Hare and lynx pelt records helped document their recurring population fluctuations.
Photoperiodism: A biological response to recurring changes in day length. Day length helps trigger the hare’s seasonal molt, even when snow conditions vary.
Lepus americanus: The scientific name of the snowshoe hare, a North American species of hare. This binomial names the species precisely in biological classification.
Boreal forest: A high-latitude forest biome dominated by coniferous trees and long, cold winters. Much of the snowshoe hare’s range and ecological influence lies in this biome.
Maine snowshoe hare studies: Field research on snowshoe hare ecology and predation conducted in Maine’s forests. These studies have tested how vegetation cover and predators affect hare survival.
Population cycle: A repeated rise and fall in the abundance of a population over time. Snowshoe hare numbers undergo pronounced cycles that recur about every eight to eleven years.
Hare: A fast-running mammal in the genus Lepus, generally born well furred and able to move soon after birth. The snowshoe hare is one species within this broader group.

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