MOUNTAIN HARE FACTS
Further details are still awaited.
Mountain hares have been on the menu for humans since the Stone Age and remains found dating back to this period frequently carry the marks of stone tools on bones. Ever since then their meat has been highly prized on our tables though, despite being very good to eat, some writers seem to consider it slightly inferior to that of the brown hare.
DISTRIBUTION: Widespread in boreal forests, taiga, upland, polar and mountainous regions from northern
Europe across to eastern Siberia and China. Isolated populations in the Alps, Baltic states, northeastern Poland and Hokkaido, Japan.
Introduced elsewhere, including
Iceland and Svalbard.
UK DISTRIBUTION: Native to the
Highlands of Scotland but introduced to lowland areas and several islands and as far south as the Peak District.
A genetically separated subspecies is found in Ireland.
IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least
Concern, stable.
OTHER NAMES: Blue hare, tundra hare, snow hare, Alpine hare, Irish hare.
FOOD: Entirely herbivorous, feeding on heather, grasses, rushes and sedges depending on availability.
HABITAT: Mainly associated with heather moorlands in the UK. Also found at lower elevations in Ireland.
BREEDING: From late January onwards until September.
BIRTHING: Females may produce three or four litters a year averaging two to four young, each after a gestation period of about 50 days. The leverets are born fully developed and are left in the open, receiving little parental care beyond suckling visits from their mother.
LIFESPAN: Three to four years average, but up to 12 years recorded.
LENGTH: 45 to 55cm
WEIGHT: 2.5 to 3.5kg
OPEN SEASONS: In England & Wales: 11 December to 31 March on moorland or unenclosed non-arable land; all year on enclosed land only.
In Scotland: 1 August to 28/29 February (currently under review). In Northern Ireland: 12 August to 31 January.