It is hard to guess what a Snowshoe hare weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) on average weights 1.57 kg (3.46 lbs).
The Snowshoe hare is from the family Leporidae (genus: Lepus). It is usually born with about 67 grams (0.15 lbs). They can live for up to 8 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 42.4 cm (1′ 5″). On average, Snowshoe hares can have babies 2 times per year with a litter size of 3.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name “snowshoe” because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal’s feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks. Its feet also have fur on the soles to protect it from freezing temperatures.For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round. The snowshoe hare is also distinguishable by the black tufts of fur on the edge of its ears. Its ears are shorter than those of most other hares.In summer, it feeds on plants such as grass, ferns, and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and plants and, similar to the Arctic hare, has been known to occasionally eat dead animals. It can sometimes be seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate. The snowshoe hare may have up to four litters in a year, which average three to eight young. Males compete for females, and females may breed with several males.A major predator of the snowshoe hare is the Canada lynx. Historical records of animals caught by fur hunters over hundreds of years show the lynx and hare numbers rising and falling in a cycle, which has made the hare known to biology students worldwide as a case study of the relationship between numbers of predators and their prey.
Animals of the same family as a Snowshoe hare
We found other animals of the Leporidae family:
- San José brush rabbit with a size of 29.4 cm (1′ 0″)
- Antelope jackrabbit bringing 3.93 kilos (8.66 lbs) to the scale
- White-tailed jackrabbit bringing 3.38 kilos (7.45 lbs) to the scale
- Tres Marias rabbit with a weight of 964 grams
- Pygmy rabbit with a weight of 437 grams
- African savanna hare bringing 1.76 kilos (3.88 lbs) to the scale
- Manzano Mountain cottontail with a size of 38.5 cm (1′ 4″)
- Burmese hare bringing 2.27 kilos (5 lbs) to the scale
- Jameson’s red rock hare bringing 2.38 kilos (5.25 lbs) to the scale
- Tolai hare bringing 1.59 kilos (3.51 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Snowshoe hare
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Lepus americanus:
- Scaly-tailed possum with a weight of 1.81 kilos (3.99 lbs)
- Mountain cuscus with a weight of 1.82 kilos (4.01 lbs)
- Angolan genet with a weight of 1.86 kilos (4.1 lbs)
- Aquatic genet with a weight of 1.65 kilos (3.64 lbs)
- Mongoose lemur with a weight of 1.77 kilos (3.9 lbs)
- Chacoan mara with a weight of 1.61 kilos (3.55 lbs)
- Woodlark cuscus with a weight of 1.63 kilos (3.59 lbs)
- Southern long-nosed armadillo with a weight of 1.5 kilos (3.31 lbs)
- Crested servaline genet with a weight of 1.86 kilos (4.1 lbs)
- Rock-haunting ringtail possum with a weight of 1.88 kilos (4.14 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Snowshoe hare
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Snowshoe hare:
- Cacomistle with a size of 42.5 cm (1′ 5″)
- Colombian white-faced capuchin with a size of 37.8 cm (1′ 3″)
- Cape gray mongoose with a size of 35 cm (1′ 2″)
- European mink with a size of 36.1 cm (1′ 3″)
- Menzies’ echymipera with a size of 34.9 cm (1′ 2″)
- Malagasy civet with a size of 45.7 cm (1′ 6″)
- Royal antelope with a size of 49.9 cm (1′ 8″)
- Common brown lemur with a size of 46.3 cm (1′ 7″)
- Spotted giant flying squirrel with a size of 39.8 cm (1′ 4″)
- Crested mona monkey with a size of 45.9 cm (1′ 7″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Snowshoe hare
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a Snowshoe hare:
- Jentink’s dormouse
- Salt marsh harvest mouse
- Southern mole vole
- Himalayan field rat
- Desert kangaroo rat
- Beech marten
- White-tailed rat
- Wagner’s gerbil
- Eastern mole
- Collared pika
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Snowshoe hare
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Snowshoe hare:
- Nathusius’s pipistrelle with an average maximal age of 8 years
- American pika with an average maximal age of 7 years
- Crowned lemur with an average maximal age of 9.17 years
- Black-shouldered opossum with an average maximal age of 7.83 years
- Eastern cottontail with an average maximal age of 9 years
- Common ringtail possum with an average maximal age of 8 years
- Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel with an average maximal age of 7.08 years
- Moonrat with an average maximal age of 7 years
- Striped possum with an average maximal age of 9.58 years
- Barbary ground squirrel with an average maximal age of 9 years