White Hare

Lepus timidusThe white hare is a common species in the forested north and south, and is not that common in the deforested central part of the region. The preferred habitat is the mixed forests with aspen and birch underwood. The animal is encountered at the forest edges, overgrowing burn-outs, and logging sites. The white hare is characterized by the alternating seasonal coloration. The summer coat is reddish gray, whereas the winter one snow white, thick and soft. In the winter, the diet of the species is dominated by shoots and bark of willows, aspen, birch etc., and in snowless periods – green shoots of bushes, herbaceous plants, wild grasses. In 1961, around 30 thousand hides of the hare were procured, and in 1990 around 2.8.

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