Snowshoe Rabbit

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Snowshoe Rabbit
BluePlanetBiomes.org
photograph by Susan Teel

Common Names: Varying Hare
Genus: Lepus
Species: americanus

The snow shoe rabbit lives in forest areas where the ground is covered with undergrowth in the higher parts of North America. It migrates throughout the mid west United States as well. It is larger than other rabbits and it weighs around three to four pounds as an adult and can be fifteen to twenty inches. It has large rear feet and the toes can spread out to act like snowshoes. Their feet also have fur on the bottom, which protects them from the cold and gives them traction in the snow. In the summer its fur is rusty, grayish brown but is turns pure white in the winter, except for its eyelids and the tips of their ears. This helps it to hide from predators.

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