Hares are swift, long-eared mammals belonging to the genus Lepus, distinct from rabbits. They are typically larger and possess longer hind legs, adapted for powerful running across open terrain. Newborn hares, called leverets, are precocial, meaning they are born fully furred, with eyes open, and capable of movement within minutes of birth, unlike the young of rabbits. Hares do not live in burrows but rest in shallow depressions called “forms,” making them constantly exposed to a wide range of predators across their global distribution.
Apex Mammalian Hunters
Mammalian carnivores represent the most varied and persistent threat to hares, employing stealth, scent-tracking, and sustained pursuit. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a major predator in many environments, utilizing keen senses of smell and hearing to locate hares, especially young leverets, which can constitute a large part of a fox family’s diet during the spring. Foxes often rely on ambushing prey.
Larger canids, such as coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray wolves (Canis lupus), also prey upon hares. Wolves often hunt in packs, allowing them to pursue and overwhelm larger adult hares over long distances.
The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) are specialized feline predators whose population numbers are often directly linked to the cycle of the snowshoe hare population in boreal forests. Lynx, with their large, padded paws and agility, are masters of silent stalking in snowy, dense environments. They rely on a burst of speed and powerful pounce rather than a prolonged chase, often targeting hares in their native forest cover.
Raptors of the Sky
Hares are vulnerable to aerial predators, which use superior visual acuity and the advantage of height to hunt in open habitats. Large diurnal raptors, such as the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), are powerful enough to capture and carry off adult hares, providing a substantial meal for a nesting pair. Other common hunters are the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Northern Goshawk, which use perching and soaring to spot movement below.
Nocturnal hunters, particularly the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), are effective predators of hares, especially the snowshoe hare in North America. The availability of hares strongly influences the breeding success and population dynamics of these owls, with reproductive output declining when hare numbers fall.
The Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) of the American Southwest is unique among raptors, as it often hunts cooperatively in small groups to take down prey like jackrabbits (a type of hare). This coordinated strategy, involving a relay attack or a surprise pounce from multiple angles, helps them overcome the hare’s defenses.
Survival Strategies Against Predation
The defense mechanism for a hare is its speed and stamina, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. They are built for endurance running, relying on long, powerful hind legs and large nostrils to sustain high-speed escapes from pursuit predators.
When fleeing, hares employ evasive maneuvers to break the predator’s visual or scent contact. These maneuvers include the “double-back” technique, where the hare returns along its own path before leaping sideways to create a break in its scent trail, making it difficult for canids to follow.
Hares also rely on camouflage; species like the snowshoe hare change their coat color from brown in summer to white in winter, allowing them to blend into their seasonal environment. If a predator is detected, the hare’s first instinct is often to press itself motionless into its shallow ground form, relying on cryptic coloration to avoid detection.