Mountain hare

Lepus timidus · Leporidae

The mountain hare or arctic hare, also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a species of hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats in the Palearctic realm. It is a large hare, slightly smaller than the European hare and identifiable by its tail, which is completely white throughout the year. Mountain hares have a brown coat in summer and white to grey in winter.

Where the Mountain hare lives

Recorded in Norway, France, Sweden, United Kingdom, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland and Russia (Europe and Asia).

Most records fall in Norrbotten, Troms, Oppland, Jämtland, Finnmark and Dalarna.

See the Mountain hare’s range on the globe

Conservation status

Least concern (LC). Not at risk: it is doing well in the wild. Categories are the IUCN Red List as republished by GBIF.

Sources

The range is a density of 95,192 georeferenced GBIF records, not an expert-drawn map. Description from Wikipedia.