Snowshoe hare leveret

This is a newborn snowshoe hare, also known as a leveret. Hares are born with fur and their eyes open, ready to take on the world. I am studying snowshoe hare nutrition and foraging, and how these processes influence hare-environment interactions. For example, snowshoe hares vary their timing of reproduction between years. Reproduction can often be nutritionally limited. I am studying how vegetation green-up and winter conditions may impact when hares begin to reproduce.