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Animal Age

How old does a Snowshoe hare get? (age expectancy)

What is the maximal age a Snowshoe hare reaches?

An adult Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) usually gets as old as 8 years.

Snowshoe hares are around 36 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 67 grams (0.15 lbs) and measure 15.3 cm (0′ 7″). As a member of the Leporidae family (genus: Lepus), a Snowshoe hare caries out around 3 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 2 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 42.4 cm (1′ 5″).

As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.

A Snowshoe hare gets as old as 8 years

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

Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Leporidae):

Animals that reach the same age as Snowshoe hare

With an average age of 8 years, Snowshoe hare are in good companionship of the following animals:

Animals with the same number of babies Snowshoe hare

The same number of babies at once (3) are born by:

Weighting as much as Snowshoe hare

A fully grown Snowshoe hare reaches around 1.57 kg (3.46 lbs). So do these animals:

Animals as big as a Snowshoe hare

Those animals grow as big as a Snowshoe hare: