The Swedish Hare, scientifically known as the Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus), is a resilient mammal adapted to the harsh, snow-dominated environments of the Nordic landscape. As a herbivore, it occupies a significant niche within its ecosystem, serving as a primary food source for many of the region’s predators.
Defining Physical Characteristics and Adaptations
The Mountain Hare possesses a robust build, typically measuring between 430 and 610 millimeters in length, with an average adult mass around 3.05 kilograms. Females generally exhibit a slightly larger body size than males (sexual dimorphism). This hare is distinguished by its comparatively shorter ears (76 to 106 millimeters long), an adaptation that minimizes heat loss in cold climates.
A remarkable biological feature is its seasonal color change, a process driven by the changing photoperiod. The northern subspecies (Lepus timidus timidus) molts from a summer coat of mottled brown or grey into a dense, insulating white pelage for the winter months. This shift provides near-perfect camouflage against the snow, a defense mechanism against avian and terrestrial predators.
The hare’s locomotion is highly specialized for navigating deep snow. Its hind feet are notably long (145 to 180 millimeters) and covered in thick fur. This fur acts like a snowshoe, distributing the animal’s weight over a greater surface area to prevent sinking into the soft snowpack.
Geographical Range and Preferred Habitats
The Swedish Hare belongs to a species with a broad Palearctic distribution, stretching from Fennoscandia across to Eastern Siberia. Within Sweden, its range is concentrated in the northern and central parts of the country, where snow cover is reliable and the climate is more sub-Arctic. The preferred environments are characterized by open, high-altitude habitats such as mountainous fells, tundra, and the vast boreal forests known as the taiga.
The hare’s habitat use shifts seasonally. During the long, cold winter, the animals often seek more sheltered areas within forests or dense scrubland. These locations offer better protection from severe weather and a more reliable supply of woody browse material. Conversely, in the summer, they expand their foraging into more open areas like clearings, moorlands, and the transition zones between forest and open country.
There is also a distinct southern subspecies, the heath hare (Lepus timidus sylvaticus), which is adapted to more temperate conditions in southern Scandinavia. This subspecies typically turns a blue-grey color in winter, rather than pure white, offering better camouflage in areas with less consistent snow cover. Competition with the larger, non-native European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) has restricted the Mountain Hare’s distribution to higher latitudes and elevations across mainland Sweden.
Dietary Habits and Seasonal Foraging
The Mountain Hare’s diet is linked to the seasonal availability of plants in its northern home. During the summer growing season, its diet consists mainly of soft vegetation, including grasses, tender herbs, and young shoots. In moorland and scrub habitats, plants like heather form a substantial part of the intake.
The onset of winter necessitates a shift in foraging strategy as the ground becomes covered in snow. The hare switches from grazing on soft plants to browsing on tougher, woody material. Winter staples include the bark, twigs, and buds of various trees; birch and willow species are particularly important sources.
Hares will also consume lichens, mosses, and dry grasses, sometimes digging through the snow to reach vegetation buried beneath the surface. This diet of lower-quality, high-fiber material is supplemented by cecotrophy, a digestive process. The hare produces soft fecal pellets, which it re-ingests to pass the material through its digestive tract a second time, allowing it to extract maximum nutrients and vitamins.