Description

It is hard to define what at t ract s
attention to the snowshoe hare.
Compared to many familiar mammals,
hares appear to live singularly
humdrum lives. They do not migrate
over long distances, do not store food
in cheek pouches, are not ferocious or
cunning, cannot climb trees, and never
hurl themselves over cliffs into the
sea. Nevertheless, we are very much
aware of hares. Next to the skunk —
considered something of a suburbanite
— they are perhaps our most visible
wild mammal. Even the most
myopic observers cannot fail to notice
them feeding along the roadsides in
the summer twilight. In winter, their
tell-tale t racks are a constant reminder
that the woods are full of
unseen hares.