The biggest hare in the world (see photo in the article) is a brown man, and it’s hard to disagree, because its dimensions reach about 70 centimeters in length! In Latin, the name of this species sounds like Lepus europaeus.
This is a native of both the Eurasian and North African steppes, who for a long period migrated farther north. Nowadays, it can be found both in northern Finland and in hot Egypt. In this article you can see a photo of the largest hare in the world. Its weight will also be indicated.
Distinctive features
The Rusak is the largest hare in the world, and this is a generally recognized fact, as there are individuals whose weight reaches seven to eight kilograms. The most well-fed of them live in the cold north, which is also the limit of their habitat. And this is not surprising, since survival in harsh winters requires a lot of subcutaneous fat. Moreover, the backbone of the bunny is rather thin, because with a massive physique you can’t get far.
From the nearest cousin the white hare differs in particular long-ear. After all, his ears rise above his head as much as 10-14 centimeters! Its tail is also distinguished: both by the fact that it stretches on average 10 cm, and by its black-brown coloring, capturing only its outer part. The hind legs are also significantly longer than that of the white, but the front legs are shorter.
The color of this hare's fur coat varies from yellowish-gray, brown or fiery-red to much lighter, but not snow-white. The color directly depends on the area and season, but it is known that even in winter the limbs and ears do not change their color and remain dark.
The hare's hair shines with a healthy shine, soft and slightly wavy to the touch. In general, this is a real handsome man! And he is called a merchant just for fur resembling brown hair of various shades.
Fur coat change
In this regard, the brown hare does not lag behind other representatives of its family, therefore it also molts in the autumn and winter. The spring change of the wardrobe begins in late March and lasts up to eighty days, ending somewhere in the last month of spring. And in the fall, the fur coat is enriched with a warm and soft undercoat, which replaces the fallen outer hair. This process lasts all three rainy months, only occasionally dragging on until the start of winter.
Area
The largest hare in the world on the vast territory of the Russian Federation is found almost everywhere - from Lake Onega to Transcaucasia. It was brought to the Krasnodar Territory, Altai, the Far East and some other parts of our vast country and took root everywhere except Buryatia.
At the end of the XIX - beginning of the XX centuries, the brown man became acquainted with the climate of North America (Canada, New York), and he perfectly lives near the Great Lakes.
In addition, the hare has artificially settled in areas such as South America, New Zealand and South Australia. In the latter, he became famous as a pest.
Ordinary activities
This large hare lives mainly in open areas, such as the steppe, forest-steppe and light forest (as well as in the forest). You can meet him near human settlements, and in ravines, and near rivers.
Most often, the grouse is tied to a certain territory, which he rarely leaves, in cases involving a shortage of food resources. The radius of its habitat is about fifty hectares. The path from the hare "bedroom" to the "kitchen" can be up to ten kilometers. In the cold season, the animal prefers to feed near human habitation or on hills, where it is possible to dig up edible vegetation.
Individuals living in the mountains, with the onset of autumn, come closer to the water, and in the spring go back.
Night life
The largest hare in the world prefers to do its business exclusively in the dark, so you can meet it in the light of day only in the breeding season.
Especially active rodent at the beginning and end of the night. If circumstances are not the best, he can oversleep for more than one day, without food. In summer, the hare’s “bedroom” is a small depression dug under a fallen tree, in thickets of tall grass, in the shade of a large bush or in the middle of a field. A permanent hut does not suit himself, because he needs a hole only as a shelter from the scorching summer sun.
Often the largest hare in the world finds shelter in the burrows of its neighbors - foxes, badgers or marmots. The choice of a place for a day's rest of a Rusak directly depends on the characteristics of the season.
With the onset of spring, he chooses places warmed by the still shallow rays of the sun, and during the flood he prefers places higher.
In winter, the hare finds refuge among the snow cover hidden from the icy winds. If the depth of the snowdrift is quite large, the hare digs holes up to two meters in length. There are frequent cases when a rookie peered at a cozy haystack harvested by practical villagers for their own purposes.
Reproduction of offspring
Often, hares live in pairs, but still this does not always happen. The need for the continuation of the genus hare acutely feels on the cold days of February, and the male’s passion lasts until the very end of the summer period.
Pregnancy of a hare lasts up to twenty days, and each individual individual is able to give birth up to two to three times a year, bringing up to four cubs at a time.
Hares are born sighted and after a week they begin the transition from mother's milk to normal adult food. The ability to reproduce in them comes already next spring.
Young individuals have a white star in the forehead, which is formed from several light hairs, and the ears, depending on various adverse conditions at this age, can be slightly torn. Skeleton bones are also quite fragile and easily vulnerable.
By the time of venerable age, the weight of the largest hare reaches its maximum and, of course, depends on the habitat. Under favorable conditions, it can reach seven kilograms! The skeleton at this age grows stronger and plays an important role in the weightiness of the bunny.
About a quarter of the representatives of this species die from diseases associated with the digestive and respiratory organs, and most of them are still fragile rabbits. Floods, hunger, and cold are hard trials for the rookers, as they can suffer not only as a result of these factors, but also because they will become a dinner for predators.
Life span
The age of a Rusak is relatively small, and its average value is 7-8 years, and males live even less. The average life expectancy of males does not exceed 5 years, females - 9 years. But there are, of course, rare exceptions when the hare has lived up to 14!
Hare menu
The diet varies depending on the time of year, which is not surprising, since the rook (mostly) is a herbivore. The hare menu looks something like this:
- Warm season: young twigs and shoots poured with juice, fresh leaves, dandelions, clover and other non-toxic herbaceous plants. As a treat, the hare likes to eat some vegetables, fruits, and berries.
- In the cold season, the remains of vegetables extracted from under the snow and tree bark are the key to survival in harsh conditions. Moreover, hares often prefer fruitful trees, which annoy rural people a lot. It is known that in conditions of a particularly severe winter, hares eat partridges, which are found in snares placed by hunters. Therefore, we can say that the Rusak is still omnivorous.
