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 for the existence of wild animals. Winter is the time of the year when it is especially difficult for the inhabitants of forests, steppes, and reservoirs. During this period, in order to survive, they need to adapt to difficult environmental conditions. Many of them are specially prepared for winter.
How do hares meet the cold season?
It can be said that in the life of hares 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 also does not store food for the winter. The hare does not need to do this beforehand, since he will find everything he needs in his habitat at any time of the year and under any weather conditions.
The only thing that is connected in the life of a hare with preparation for winter is its molt. It starts in September andends in October, and in some cases in November. In this case, a change in coat color occurs. A hare in the forest in winter is invisible to predators and hunters due to the fact that its fur coat becomes white. The fur becomes thicker and longer, which saves the animal from severe frosts.
Types of hares and their habitats
Before giving an answer to the question of how hares winter, you need to know exactly what species they are talking about. In Russia, two species are most common - hare and hare. They live in different conditions, so their habits are different. The life of hares in winter will not be exactly the same.
Russians prefer open places - meadows, fields, steppes. Only occasionally do they visit the copses and orchards.
The white hare lives most often in mixed forests, where there are thickets of aspen and willow. Sedge, which grows in marshy places, also attracts hares of this species. White hare living in the tundra are usually found in bushes. In the forest-steppe, hares inhabit kolki - small forests.
How do hares winter?
Both species arrange mating 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 cover, a woodpile, a fence, in a hole, a ravine. During a snowfall or a blowing snow, the animal is covered with snow and it becomes hardly noticeable. It is in such weather that the hare is most protected: the tracks have disappeared under the snow, and he himself is not visible. With the onset of darkness, the animal goes out to feed, because at this time of day the harealso feels more secure.
Between the lair and the place of fattening, you can see clear traces of the animal on the fresh snow. It is on them that hunters and predatory animals track down a hare. But doing this is not so easy. Returning from the place of feeding to the lair, 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?
Following the tracks, you can not only determine the location of a hare or hare, but also find out how hares hibernate. So, for example, it was noticed that at the very beginning of winter, when there is still not much snow, both species live near fields with winter crops. This is where they feed on young shoots of rye and wheat.
Hares have to change their habitat as the snow cover increases. It is no longer possible to find enough food in the fields. Animals choose less snowy areas. Rusak moves closer to vegetable gardens, orchards, summer cottages. Here, animals, eating the bark of fruit trees, cause considerable damage to plantings. Especially young seedlings suffer from hare teeth.
In the forest where the mountain hare winters, there is enough food until spring. Animals feed on bark and branches of deciduous trees and shrubs, frozen berries, dried grass. In the fields, they eat hay prepared for domestic animals, which also causes some harm.
How do hares escape from enemies in winter?
Telling about how hares winter, you can’tforget that a small animal often becomes the prey of such animals as a wolf, a fox. He also has to hide from birds of prey. What helps the hare to cope with such strong opponents? This is primarily his ability to run. The soles of the paws of the animal are covered with thick hair in winter, which makes its foot wide and makes it easy to move even on loose snow without falling through. The pads of the hare's fingers exude abundant sweat, which prevents snow from sticking. The animal moves freely both in deep snow and on crust - an ice crust that forms on the surface of the snow cover.
Hares have very strong hind legs. Due to their special structure, the animals can perform large jumps while moving. In addition, with the blows of the hind legs, the animal is able to fend off a predator. The swift running of the animal, its strong legs not only help it in search of food, but very often save it from pursuers.
