What a hare loves in winter. How do hares winter? Their habitats, feeding habits
Seasonal changes occurring in inanimate nature have a significant impact on the life of plants and animals. To a greater extent, these changes relate to the conditions of existence of wild animals. Winter is the time of year when it is especially difficult for the inhabitants of forests, steppes, ponds. During this period, for survival, they need to adapt to the difficult ones. Many of them are specially preparing for the winter.
How do hares meet the cold season?
We can say that in the life of rabbits there is no period that can be characterized as preparation for winter. The animal does not build shelters, nests, does not organize beds in advance. He does not make food supplies for the winter. The hare does not need to do this beforehand, as he will find everything he needs for himself in his habitat at any time of the year and under any weather conditions.
The only thing connected with the preparation of the hare in the life of a hare is its molting. It begins in September and ends in October, and in some cases in November. In this case, the color of the coat changes. In winter, a hare in the forest is invisible to predators and hunters due to the fact that its fur coat acquires a white color. The fur becomes thicker and longer, which saves the animal from severe frosts.
and their habitats
Before giving an answer to the question of how hares hibernate, it is necessary to know exactly what type they are in question. In Russia, two species are most common - grouse and white hare. They live in different conditions, so their habits are excellent. The life of hares in winter will not be exactly the same.
Mermaid prefer open places - meadows, fields, steppes. Only occasionally do they visit coppices and orchards.
The hare lives most often in where there are thickets of aspen, willow. Sedge growing in marshy places also attracts hares of this species. The whites that inhabit the tundra are usually found in bushes. In the forest-steppe, hares are inhabited by spikes - small forest areas.
How do hares winter?
Both species arrange stays in winter. These are secluded places where they spend the entire daylight hours. Hares usually lie under some kind of shelter - a bush, a snow mark, a woodpile, a fence, in a hole, a ravine. During a snowfall or blowing snow the animal sweeps with snow and it becomes hardly noticeable. It is in such weather that the hare is most protected: the tracks disappeared under the snow, and he himself is not visible. With the onset of darkness, the animal goes to feed, since at this time of day the hare also feels more secure.
Between the den and the place of lodging, you can see clear traces of the animal on fresh snow. It is on them that hunters track down the hare. But to do this is not so easy. Returning from the place of feeding to the bed, the animal confuses the tracks. To do this, he winds, makes big jumps to the side, passes through the same place several times.
What do animals eat in winter?
From the footsteps you can not only determine the location of a brown or white hare, but also find out how hares winter. For example, it was noticed that at the very beginning of winter, when there is still not a lot of snow, both species live near fields with winter crops. It is here that they feed on young shoots of rye and wheat.
Hares have to change their habitat as snow cover increases. In the fields it is no longer possible to find enough food. Animals choose less snowy areas. Rusak moves closer to gardens, gardens, cottages. Here animals, eating the bark of fruit trees, cause considerable damage to the plantings. Young saplings suffer especially from the teeth of a hare.
In the forest, where the white hare winter, there is enough food until spring. Animals feed on bark and branches of deciduous trees and shrubs, frozen berries, dried grass. On the mowing, they eat hay harvested for pets, which also cause certain harm.
How do rabbits escape from enemies in winter?
Talking about how the hares winter, we must not forget that a small animal often becomes the prey of animals such as a wolf, a fox. He has to hide and from What helps a hare cope with such strong opponents? This is primarily his ability to run. The soles of the paws of the animal in winter are covered with thick wool, which makes its foot wide and allows you to easily move even on loose snow without falling through. The hare’s finger pads liberally sweat, which prevents snow from sticking. The animal moves freely both in deep snow and on the crust - the ice crust formed on the surface of the snow cover.
Hares have very strong hind legs. Thanks to their special structure, animals can perform large jumps during movement. In addition, by hitting the hind legs, the animal is able to fight off the predator. The fast running of the animal, its strong legs not only help him in search of food, but very often save him from his pursuers.
How do rabbits live in winter?
In winter, hares move closer to a person. It’s more convenient for them to ride along trampled roads, and there is more feed in forests and parks in winter than in fields. Often, going on a ski trip, you can find traces of hares in the snow. A great lesson for a young ranger is finding a hare path.
The traces of this beast are easy to distinguish: two wide prints near the front and two smaller ones, one after the other, behind. I wonder how such an unusual trace turns out. The hare has long hind legs. On the run, he throws them forward both at once: he overtakes himself. So, the imprints of the short forelegs appear behind the imprints of the long hind legs.
Hare marks.
The hare easily jumps in the snow where we can’t get through without skis - we will fail. And again, amazing paws help him, the soles of which in winter are overgrown with thick and soft hair. Dressed with such a felt pillow, the paws are very apart. So the hare gets his own skis.
Jump through the snowdrifts! And not only in snowdrifts. On the smoothest surface of the ice its amazing paws do not slip. In addition, it turns out that the hare also has its own ski ointment: sweat, which is released only on the legs and lubricates the feet, protects them from snow sticking. Try to catch up with this!
it’s hard to put the hare. The fur coat on it is white - the color of snow. The animal itself is very cautious, sensitive and fearful. And how not to be shy if there are so many enemies around: birds of prey, foxes, dogs! .. And from a person hares get. And he has all the protection: fast legs and the ability to hide.
Hares hide all day in a mink. He will dig it in the snow, sit in the muzzle towards the exit and doze in his hiding place.
If someone follows in his wake, the hare will be the first to notice and have time to escape. Not every hare hunter will be taken aback.
Late in the evening a long-eared animal comes out to run and feed. Winter food for him is thin branches, the bark of trees and shrubs. Snow crust and snowdrifts help the hare to get high branches for lunch. He also enjoys at haystacks. There you can often find hare tracks.
Winter is a rather difficult period for wild animals. It often requires special training, as well as endurance and adjustments to one’s usual behavior. In this article, we will find out how the inhabitants of forests and fields familiar to us spend the winter.
