Raghul MR

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Look like snowballs, but they are Arctic hares (Lepus arcticus), showing their excellent camouflaging technique on a snowy landscape. Belonging to the family Leporidae, one can find Arctic hares in the North-American tundra,the regions covering Greenland and Northern Canada in the north to Newfoundland in the south. They are often confused with rabbits because of their appearance and nicknamed as “Polar rabbits”. Arctic hares can thrive in polar regions, unlike rabbits.

Though living in one of the harshest climates on the planet, Arctic hares survive the snow with several adaption techniques. Thick fur, shortened ear and other body structure help in conserving body heat, and digging caves beneath the snow. These are some of the tactics that help them to survive. Their excellent sense of smell helps them in finding their favourite foods like woody plants, and lichens under the snow. In the summer, they feed on berries and leaves.

In addition to helping them blend in during the winter, Arctic hares' white fur is highly reflective, which might help them avoid gaining too much heat during the day. During resting, they maintain a spherical body shape and remain in groups — another adaption technique to stay camouflaged and alert from their predators.The unique eye placement helps them to see around 360 degrees without moving their head. In the vicinity of predators, they are equipped to run up to 60 km per hour and are capable of jumping at a height of around 6.5 feet. They also have black eyelashes in order to protect their eyes from reflections on snowy landscapes…read more on NOPR