How long do hares live in the wild? Habitat of hares

Prefers open spaces. Also, after molting, the coat of a white hare becomes white, while the hare remains gray. Otherwise, these species are so similar that they even periodically interbreed with each other, producing viable, albeit sterile, offspring.

They feed on food that is not held in high esteem by other rodents - tree bark and thin branches, leaves and young shoots. In winter, animals in search of food often come to human habitation, where they can feast on the bark of fruit trees and hay.

Hares have - quite a lot of predators want to taste the tender meat of the animals. Rodents have to survive due to their speed and cunning. Hares not only run fast, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h, but they also masterfully deceive their pursuers, zigzagging, retracing their steps and making sharp leaps to the side. If the predator nevertheless catches up with the animal, the hare uses its last trump card - it lies on its back and tries to fight off with its powerful hind legs.

Hares are widespread not due to their numerous talents for entangling enemies, but due to their fertility. IN European territory In Russia, a hare gives birth three times, and each litter contains five to seven cubs. Scientists still have not agreed on whether a hare is considered a good mother by human standards. Some believe that females do not leave their cubs, and during their forced absence the male watches over the offspring. According to others, a hare, having fed her children, can easily leave them for several days, and other bunnies will feed their hungry offspring.

The brown hare belongs to the order “Lagomorpha”. It has the ability to confuse its trail beyond recognition before laying down for the day. This animal is a valuable object of both commercial and sport hunting.

This popularity of the brown hare is explained by its huge habitat. It is found almost throughout Europe, as well as in Asia Minor and Asia Minor.

Rusaks settle in open steppe areas interspersed with bushes and forest islands. Often, especially in winter, they move closer to human habitation, where it is easier to get food.

The hare lives alone almost the entire year, and only during the rutting period do individuals briefly gather in groups, where several males fight for each female.

Below you can see beautiful photos brown hare:

Hares are active at dusk and at night, but during the daytime they hide from prying eyes, camouflaging themselves on their beds so skillfully that even when approaching a brown hare it is very difficult to see him closely. Thanks to its superbly developed vision, hearing and sense of smell, it is not easy to sneak up on an animal unnoticed. If a rodent is scared off, it flees, developing speeds of up to 60 km/h on flat areas, and easily swims across streams and rivers.

The breeding season for brown hares lasts from late winter - early spring until late autumn. A hare bears offspring for 30-40 days. In one season, an individual brings 2 - 4 litters, with an average of 3-5 hares in each. During the first days, newborn bunnies lie motionless, and the hare herself comes to feed them. After about 7 to 10 days, the bunnies begin to eat grass, and after another two to three weeks they become completely independent. Puberty in a young hare occurs at the age of eight months.

The brown hare eats exclusively plant foods. At any time of the year, its diet contains a variety of herbs and seeds. In winter, when there is a shortage of food, it includes shoots and bark of bushes and trees. Gardens often suffer from the teeth of the brown hare, where literally overnight the nimble animal can damage a dozen fruit trees. Rough food is poorly digested, so hares sometimes eat their own droppings so that the necessary substances are better absorbed.

Video: Animals in Lens: Brown Hare (1984) (film)

Hares are one of the most common game animals in our country. Thanks to their developed reproductive system, hares can bear hares several times a year, bringing from one to eleven cubs at a time.

Of all known species There are about four hares in our country (the most common): the brown hare, the mountain hare, the Manchurian hare, and the sandhill hare. The lifestyle of each species is slightly different from the lifestyle of other species, so we will consider the life activities of each of these species separately.

Lifestyle of a brown hare. This species is most common in the central part of the country and Western Siberia, but the range (territory of residence) of the brown hare continues to expand. Lives in copses, arable lands, and wastelands.

The brown hare weighs 3 – 6.5 kg, body length – 50 – 70 cm. In summer, the skin is colored brownish-gray with various shades, the belly is white, the tips of the ears are black, and they remain that way all year round.

Their lifestyle changes depending on the time of year. In the summer they live on farmland (in wheat, oat and other fields), after the harvest they go into copses and dry lands. IN summer time they feed on grass, cereals, legumes (they especially like dandelion, clover, tansy), and in winter they eat the bark and branches of willow, willow, aspen, etc., and also climb into gardens on the outskirts of the city, actively eating fruit and berry crops or digging them out -vegetable remains under the snow.

During the day, he can lie down in the bushes, in specially dug small holes, or in an area overgrown with grass. They often use abandoned holes of badgers and other forest inhabitants for their temporary shelters. Sometimes they even climb into the holes of their main enemies - foxes!!! In winter, brown hares dig holes up to 2.5 meters long in the snow for the day, and also hide in haystacks, and some hares even climb to the top of the haystack!

Catching a brown hare is much more difficult, as it can run at speeds of up to 63 km/h.

In March, hares begin mating season which lasts until autumn. Until this time, the Russians, who lived alone, united in groups. Various games, fights and quarrels become commonplace. Females are capable of giving birth 3 to 5 times a year. They give birth in pre-made nests of grass and twigs, in shallow holes or burrows. As a rule, from two to five bunnies are born, which can already see and can move. But in the first days of life they lie quietly in the bushes so as not to give away their existence. At first, the mother herself feeds them with milk several times a day, but after two weeks they are forced to look for the hare themselves. Any hare with milk can feed them!

The lifespan of brown hares is about six years. The main enemies of the Russians are predator birds(hawks, falcons, eagle owls, etc.), and even magpies hunt small fragile hares.

Lifestyle of a hare. The hare, unlike the hare, prefers coniferous forests with thickets of bushes, tundra and forest-steppe zones. Distributed almost throughout the country. The white hare is considered large: its body length is from 45 to 75 cm (sometimes more), weight from 1.5 to 5 kg. The ears are shorter than those of the brown hare, but also very long. Wide feet make it easy to move on loose snow. The color of the coat changes depending on the time of year. In winter the coat is white (the tips of the ears remain black all year round), and in summer it is grey-red, with the fur on the belly and feet remaining white.

A sedentary lifestyle is the norm for white hare. Over the years of life, they know it inside and out, they know where there is a lot of food, where they can hide from rain, heat or from predators. They are most active at dusk and at night, some time before sunset and before dawn. Food in winter time The bark and branches of birch, spruce, willow and even rowan serve, and in the summer the favorite delicacy of hares are leaves of bushes, cereals and legumes.

For daytime roosting in summer, they roost in the grass under a bush or on a boundary in open places, and in winter they dig holes in the snow from 0.5 to 3 meters. And in the tundra, hares can make a permanent shelter for themselves in a hole up to 8 meters! In bad weather, as a rule, they do not leave their shelters and can stay in them for several days, escaping from there only in case of danger.

White hares breed, just like brown hares - from early spring to autumn. Fights between males become commonplace. Females attract males with specific sounds - tumbling. During the mating season, females give birth 2-3 times, from three to eleven well-developed sighted hares in a litter. Gestation lasts about 45 days. A few days after birth, little hares are not inferior in running speed to adults. A hare's milk is fatty and nutritious, so it is enough to feed the rabbits 1 - 2 times a day. Half a month after birth, hares are able to feed themselves and begin to lead an independent lifestyle.

If the threat of hares are birds of prey, then the white hare becomes easy prey for foxes, wolves, lynxes and other predatory animals.

Hares are hunted for their delicious meat and skins. More suitable for hare hunting

In almost every corner of the planet there is brown hare. It is found everywhere except Antarctica. This animal became famous for its cautious character, its deft escape from pursuit and its quick tangling of its tracks.

The mammal is separate species and belongs to the genus of large hares. In many countries it is one of the most popular game animals. This is facilitated by a highly developed reproductive system hares, which can bear fruit several times a year, producing at least 8 babies at a time.

No one knows how to confuse their tracks better than a hare. This is one of the most popular fairy-tale and cartoon characters, beloved by children. Until the 20th century, not all territories were inhabited by them. But the situation was corrected as a result of the resettlement of brown hares in the territory North America and New Zealand.

Features and habitat

Judging by description of the brown hare- This is one of the largest eared animals among all its brothers. It reaches a length of up to 70 cm. Its weight reaches up to 6 kg.

In the summer, for the purpose of camouflage, the fur of the brown hare becomes gray with admixtures of brown dyes. In winter it becomes somewhat lighter. A warm undercoat is formed under it.

You can distinguish a hare from all other animals thanks to its long protruding ears. This is not only the animal’s organ of hearing, but also an ideal means for saving a furry one from overheating in too much hot weather. Using areas on the ears that are not covered with hair, excess heat is released from the body.

It is interesting to watch how a hare takes cover from the rain. He carefully presses his ears down to his head and carefully protects them from water. After all, they have another very important mission - to save the animal from possible danger, which the ears, like locators, detect at a great distance.

Their average length is usually about 15 cm. The tail of the hare hare is black, small sizes. The eyes are red with a brown tint. Black fur can be seen on the tips of the ears year-round.

The brown hare can reach high speeds, sometimes reaching up to 50 km/h. This and coat color is considered the main one difference between the brown hare and the white hare. It is impossible to distinguish a male from a female by coat color.

The steppe and forest-steppe zones are the main habitat of these fast animals. Hares prefer warm and dry climates with a predominance of large quantity sunny days.

You can meet hares almost throughout Europe, except Spain and Scandinavia. It has long been found in Asia, Kazakhstan, and Altai. Recently, hares have been brought to Australia, America, New Zealand and settled down safely there.

Animals feel comfortable in the open steppe with sparse bushes and forest plantations. In winter, they can often be found near human habitations. This makes it easier for them to soak up the harsh cold.

Appearance brown hare so clearly expressed that everyone who even met him for the first time in his life understands that it is he, and not some other representative of the hare breed.

One of the obvious signs of a brown hare is their tendency to stay on open spaces. Their most favorite habitats are agricultural lands. Places where animals never have problems with food.

Character and lifestyle

Brown hares prefer to live alone. Only during the mating season can they find a mate. It is more convenient for him to lead a nocturnal lifestyle. As soon as dusk falls, the brown hare goes out to hunt for food. The rest of the time the animal rests in a secluded place, away from possible enemies, of which the scythe has plenty.

Animals master the wonderful art of camouflage. Sometimes they can hide so much that it is impossible to notice them at all, even if they are very close.

Hares do not have one specific home. They are constantly looking for new housing for themselves. In summer, not too deep holes located in bushes or tall grass become their refuge. With great luck, the long-eared one can find an abandoned hole of a badger or fox. With less, it can simply settle under a bush.

In winter, its refuge becomes a small hole dug right in the snow. He chooses a place so that there is no wind. Hares should be careful. They can be so quiet and inconspicuous that even the most attentive predator sometimes does not notice them. Fluffy ones never make unnecessary sounds.

But in times of danger, everyone around, including their brothers, can hear their loud and shrill squeak. In addition to squeaking, hares warn of danger in another unique way - they begin to intensively drum their paws on the ground. This Morse code helps many hare hares escape from their enemies.

Basically, hares live in one place. In winter, they prefer places with little snow. Only with the formation of an ice crust do hares migrate en masse to other places. To find food for yourself winter hares and hares you have to travel over distances of tens of kilometers.

In addition to fast hare speed And he has another talent for confusing tracks - he can swim perfectly. Danger forces the hare to make a loud chatter of his teeth. And the one who was caught emits an incredibly loud and piercing scream.

The animal has well-developed not only hearing, but also vision and smell. So sneak up on him and do photo with a brown hare almost impossible. It is also very difficult to catch up, because in fright he develops high speed.

If you compare the speed brown hare and white hare, then the speed of the first is comparatively faster. It also jumps and swims better than its white counterpart. These animals have always been considered an object for hunters. They have very tasty meat and soft, warm skin.

Nutrition

This mammalian herbivore is not too picky about food. The main thing for hares is that it is there. Any field plant serves as a delicacy for them. Moreover, hares can eat it whole, right with the roots. Long-eared animals living near populated areas often raid people's gardens and eat their favorite carrots and cabbage.

In the winter season, tree bark, plant seeds, and various remains of fruits and vegetables are used. Winter wheat, which they find under the snow, also saves them from starvation.

When visiting garden plots, hares sometimes cause irreparable harm to gardeners. Their favorite tree is the apple tree; it always suffers more than all the others. fruit trees.

Interesting fact It is believed that hares are not always forced to gnaw apple trees by hunger. Animals constantly grow teeth, which they try to grind down on hard surfaces. This way you can have a snack at the same time.

Hares often have poor digestion of rough food, so they often feed on their own droppings, which helps them better absorb the necessary substances.

Reproduction and lifespan

At the beginning of spring, the mating season begins for brown hares. It lasts until the beginning of winter. During all this time, the hare can have about 4 litters. It's interesting to watch mating games hare and hare.

This happens somewhat unusually for them. Most often, in many animals, competition for a female occurs between males. For brown hares, everything happens a little differently.

Between a male and a female standing on their hind legs, the so-called “rabbit boxing” occurs, during which the female tries to raise a partner. She shows her readiness to mate by running away. The weaker male usually lags behind in the marathon. The strong one wins, and he gets the honor of becoming the father of the family.

Pregnancy lasts up to 42 days. Maximum amount The number of rabbits born reaches up to 8 individuals. They appear in a moss-covered hole dug by the female herself. For a month, the hare feeds the babies with milk.

Sometimes it may disappear for a couple of days. In such cases, another hare, the same nursing mother, takes care of the bunnies. At approximately 8 months of age, the hares become sexually mature.

The female tries not to keep the entire brood in one pile. She undertakes such a cunning maneuver so that the predator cannot attack all her offspring. The lifespan of a brown hare in the wild lasts 6-15 years.

In central Russia, the white hare and brown hare are widespread. In summer, both representatives of the order Lagomorpha have a gray-brown coat color. In winter, the hare becomes much lighter, and the hare turns pure White color(hence the beast’s nickname). Where do hares live? The hare lives in the forest. This is a forest hare. The hare can live in fields and steppes. So the answer to the question of where hares live is not entirely clear.

Belyak: daily routine and nutrition

During the day, the hare, as a rule, sleeps where he lives. The hare in the forest only comes out to feed at night. In winter, it feeds mainly on the bark of various trees. The hare does this in a very original way, climbing hind legs, to reach the bark more gently, as if standing at attention. White hare gnaws branches of young aspen, birch trees, willow bark, willow and others deciduous trees. Very fond of young fruit plants.

In winter, the white hare can move quite easily through deep snow, since hair grows on its legs (even between its toes). It’s much easier to stay warm and stay on the snow. The leg becomes wider, and the hare runs as if on skis. By the way, when a hare jumps, it puts its hind legs forward, like a squirrel, leaving characteristic footprints in the snow.

In hiding

Lezhka is the name of the winter (and summer) den where a hare lives in the forest from time to time. You can get to the hidden place by following the tracks of the hare. But, most likely, this will be very difficult to do. Before lying down, the hare intensively confuses its tracks, loops and jumps from side to side (takes notes). And only after completely confusing everyone, the animal finally lies down in an oblong hole. In it the hare hides from all kinds of enemies, and he has plenty of them: wolves, foxes, owls, eagles, dogs, lynxes. Also - hunters and poachers of all ranks and stripes.

Lying down can provide shelter from the piercing autumn and winter winds. In a strong winter blizzard, a hare can be covered in snow, as they say, “up to its ears.” A dome of snow and ice crust forms above it. Then the hidden hare, coming into the light, has to dig out of the cache. So the question of where hares live can be answered this way: some of the time they lie down. There they hide from enemies and the wind.

Where do brown hares live?

These are field and steppe animals (for the most part), unlike white hare, which primarily live in the forest. Hares almost always sleep during the day and feed at night. They dig up the snow over winter crops and eat green sprouts. If the hare cannot for some reason (deep snow, ice, frost) get to the winter crops, he resorts to the gardens, where he eats the remaining stalks or unpicked carrots. It also gets close to haystacks, eating dry grass. Willingly feasts on the bark of fruit trees - young apple trees - in gardens. Rusaki cause great harm in this way national economy- fields, gardens and vegetable gardens. This is why the villagers dislike them.

Where do hares live in winter and summer?

These animals live alone or in pairs. Unlike their rabbit brothers, hares almost never dig holes. They build their nests in small, ready-made holes. The hare tribe is known for its fertility: the hare makes 3-4 litters per year (from March to September), each with 5-10 cubs. They are born with their eyes and fur already open, and are quite independent, but some die from enemies in the first months of their life. The fact is that the mother, having fed, runs away from the babies after two or three days. All this time they sit, hiding in the grass. A few days later, the hare comes running to feed them again. Interestingly, another female who has found the hares can also do this.

What helps the hare?

Fleeing from enemies, of which the hare has plenty, the animal can run up to 70 kilometers a day, making wide circles and meandering through a forest or field. These tracks are sometimes difficult for even a skilled hunter to untangle. So what saves the hare is its main defense - the ability to run quickly. And the corresponding color of the skin also comes in handy for the hare in winter. The hare, fleeing from pursuit, can sometimes stop, as if listening and trying to see the enemy. But the hare has only well-developed hearing, and vision and smell - not very well. So, a white hare can come quite close to a standing person, which is what experienced hunters use.

Bed or hole?

The bed, especially if the hare is not particularly disturbed, can be used by it many times as a place for temporary shelter. But most often the hare is looking for new places. But in winter, in severe frost, it digs holes in the snow up to one and a half meters deep, in which it spends most of its time, coming out only in search of food or in case of danger.

Interestingly, the white hare only compacts the snow without throwing it out. Hares living in the tundra dig holes up to eight meters long in winter, using them as permanent shelters. Tundra whites do not leave the hole when danger arises, but hide inside and wait. And in the summer, marmots and arctic foxes use empty earthen passages as shelters. Where do hares live? In holes left by other animals. It's spacious and there's enough room for long-eared people.