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Snow Den
"[The snow den of a hare]
was about four feet in length, and scraped horizontally
into a snowdrift. I have no doubt the same burrow
is regularly occupied, as this one was discoloured
by the feet of the animal passing in and out,
and a quantity of hair was sticking to the sides;
all around the hare had been scratching up the
snow and feeding on Saxifraga
oppositifolia [purple
saxifrage]".
- Feilden 1877
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Individual
Behaviour
Posture | Orientation | Shelter-Seeking | Shelter-Digging
There are basic behaviours that are common to all individual
Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus). These behaviours include feeding,
grooming, escape from predators and sheltering. Complementing
their warm fur, Arctic hares have four special behavioural
'tricks' to cope with winter cold: posture, orientation,
natural shelter and digging of snow dens.
Posture
The almost perfectly spherical shape and prolonged stillness
of a huddled Arctic hare are part of its winter strategy
for keeping warm. Hares assume this posture when they finish
feeding, tucking extremities in tightly in order to conserve
warmth by folding their tails down between their hind legs,
tucking their forepaws into their chest and lowering their
ears down into the fur on their backs. In this position they
touch the ground with only the thick pads on their hind feet.
They sit like this for hours, thereby conserving precious
energy. Although they will sit in the open, they also shelter
behind rocks or snow drifts. As daily mean temperatures increase
from -20°C (-4°F) in April to 0°C (32°F)
in May, their usual resting posture changes from the tightly
curled resting sphere to crouching and sprawling.
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 The entrance to a snow den can be seen behind this Arctic hare.
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Orientation
In strong winds, Arctic hares know the trick to staying
warm is to keep the wind at their backs when resting or feeding.
When wind speeds drop below 10 km/h (6 mph), resting hares
turn to face the sun (during those months of the year in
which the sun shines).
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An Arctic hare feeding in a wind storm. |
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Inside an Arctic hare's snow den there is no sign of feeding or long-term occupation. This indicates that Arctic hares use snow dens primarily for short-term shelter. |
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Shelter-Seeking
In winter, hares typically rest together in closely spaced
groups. Arctic hares do not huddle together for warmth, except
for young littermates in summer. Hares in groups do not usually
seek shelter, but solitary hares will groom and rest in the
shelter of large rocks, snow drifts and manufactured structures
such as cabins.
Shelter-Digging
In summer, hares sometimes dig shallow depressions in soft
ground, called 'forms' or 'scrapes', in which to rest. In
winter, they dig small forms in the snow. In some areas,
Arctic hares dig snow dens up to 1.9 m (6 ft.) long in snowdrifts.
Snow dens are not used for feeding. |
