Varying Hare Skull Replica measures 3.1 in. Snowshoe Hare Skull Replica is museum quality Polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as Showshoe Rabbit. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.
The Snowshoe Hare or L. 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.
Snowshoe Hares range in length from 16.3 to 20.4 in., of which 1.5 to 2.0 in. are tail. The hind foot, long and broad, measures 4.6 to 5.8 in. in length.
The ears are 2.4 to 2.8 in. from notch to tip. Snowshoe Hares usually weigh between 3.15 to 3.42 lb. Males are slightly smaller than females, as is typical for leporids.
For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round.
The Snowshoe rabbit or L. americanus 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, Snowshoe Hares eat 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. Lepus americanus can sometimes be seen feeding in small groups.
Snowshoe rabbits are mainly active at night and does not hibernate. The Lepus americanus 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 Lepus americanus numbers rising and falling in a cycle.
Snowshoe Hares occur from Newfoundland to Alaska; south in the Sierra Nevada to central California; in the Rocky Mountains to southern Utah and northern New Mexico; and in the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina and Tennessee.
Rabbit hides can be crafted into hats, gloves, blankets and bedspreads, toys, pillow covers, or baby booties. It’s an exceptionally warm garment lining for people who spend long periods in intense cold, such as hunters, farmers, ranchers, and construction workers.
Rabbit hair (also called rabbit fur, cony, coney, comb or lapin) is the fur of the common rabbit.
It is most commonly used in the making of fur hats and coats, and is considered quite valuable today, although it was once a lower-priced commodity in the fur trade.
Rabbit hair is commonly considered a byproduct of the ordinary process of breeding rabbits for meat, and as such is manufactured in vast quantities in England and France; more than seventy million pelts a year in France alone.
However, the quality of fur from these rabbits tends to be low, as the rabbits are slaughtered before reaching twelve weeks old and still have the infant coat. The lower quality hair is sometimes used for felt.
