a leveret escaping the heat
Thank you very much for the visit and comments. Cheers.
At the Emerald Airport under a fig tree, Queensland, Australia, on a 44C day. We gave it a good spray with the hose to cool it down.
European Hare
History in Australia: The European hare was introduced to Australia in the late 1830s in Tasmania, although this initial attempt to establish wild populations failed. The first successful colony of hares to establish in Australia was on the shores of Westernport Bay in 1862. The following year another hare colony was established on Phillip Island by the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria for the use in the sport 'coursing'. Hares released on the mainland thrived with limited hunting pressure. The hare became a widespread species throughout much of south-east Australia by 1870. Spreading at an approximate rate of 60 kilometres per year, hares crossed the Murray River in 1875, where they made their way along the western slopes and tablelands of New South Wales. By 1900, hares had reached the Queensland border and become a major agricultural problem in easter, rural Australia.
Appearance: The European hare belongs to the family Leporidae, along with the rabbit. The male European hare is called a 'Jack' while the female is called a 'Jill'. Offspring under one year are referred to as 'leverets'. Male hares are generally smaller than females. Leverets are born with hair and their eyes open and are able to move about soon after birth. Similar to rabbits, juvenile hares have a white star on their forehead. Hares have similar physiology to rabbits but are much bigger. Hares have larger ears, often with black tips which play a large part in controlling their body temperature. In hot weather, the ears are held away from their bodies and appear flushed, while in cooler weather, the exposed areas of the ears are held close to the body to prevent heat loss. Like the rabbit, the hareâs hind limbs are longer than its front limbs.The fur of the European hare has a flecked appearance, made up of tan, black and white hairs, ruddy brown or grey above and white below. This allows the hare to blend in well with dry grass. Like rabbits, hares have 28 teeth with the lower tooth rows being closer together than the upper rows. In the upper jaw, the hare has two pairs of continuously growing, enamel covered upper incisors; the front long pair has a cutting edge, while the peg teeth located behind these do not have a cutting edge. At birth, the hare has three sets of incisors, but the outer pair is lost soon after birth. Hares have unique upper teeth consisting of a pair of gnawing hypsodont teeth (which grow continuously) with a pair of peg teeth hidden behind. This double pair of upper teeth is found only in rabbits and hares and cause a very distinctive, 45 degree angle cut on browsed vegetation.
Behaviour: Hares, like rabbits, are most active in the late afternoon and at night. Hares are solitary animals but do tend to come together while grazing as a response to predation. Hares grazing in groups tend to receive fewer interruptions than those who graze alone. Hares will travel up to 3-4 km to feed on a wide range of food types. Hares hide and can accelerate to high speed when disturbed or threatened. When approached, the hare will remain still in its form until the predator is within 1-2 metres. The hare will then break cover and sprint away at high speed. A hare will confuse predators by doubling back on its tracks to leave a disarrayed trail. This will often involve a large leap sideways to break its scent trail. A hareâs heart is big for the size of its body. Although it can drive the animal's legs at a pace that many other other animals can't match, its heart will not support the animal when stressed. Hares are easily stressed, panicked or traumatised. European hares are primarily solitary animals but may form hierarchies with both male and female members. Unlike rabbits, hares do not shelter in warrens or burrows. Instead they rest in a shallow depression in the ground called a âformâ. A hareâs form is usually found amongst long grass, rocks, logs or branches, oval in shape and around 400 mm x 200 mm in dimension. Leverets are born into a type of nest created within a form. Unlike rabbits hares are born above ground.
Diet: Hares are primarily herbivorous and feed mainly after sunset. The diet of hares consists of leaves, stems and rhizomes of dry and green grasses. They also eat herbaceous plants, cereals, berries, vegetables, wood and bark, seeds, grains, nuts and some fungi. Like rabbits, caecotrophy (the reingestion of faecal material from the caecum) is a behaviour that is used by European hares in order to gain the maximum amount of nutrients from their food as possible.
Preferred habitat: The preferred habitat of hares is open country with the presence of tussock or rocks to hide amongst. They are widespread in grasslands, woodlands, agriculture and urban areas.
Predators: Hares are vulnerable to predators both as leverets and as adults. Foxes will hunt adult hares and leverets, while wedge-tail eagles are a major threat to adult hares and feral cats pose a major threat to leverets.
Reproduction: Under favourable conditions, hares may produce more than four litters (each of two to five young) annually. Research has found that the more litters hares have, the smaller the litter size tends to be. Little is known about the breeding habits of European hares in Australia. European hares have an average 42 day gestation period but this ranges from 38-46 days. At birth, leverets are fully furred, 13-17 cm in length and weigh 80-180 g. Their eyes are open at birth and are precocial, meaning they are able to move around soon after birth. Leverets are born into a form and are hidden within dense vegetation. The mother will visit to suckle the young once every 24 hours. After around three days, the young will disperse from their birth place and find separate hiding locations. Young from the same litter will return to a central space to suckle.
(Source: www.dpi.vic.gov.au)
Chris Burns 2013
__________________________________________
© All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded,
displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic,
mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
a leveret escaping the heat
Thank you very much for the visit and comments. Cheers.
At the Emerald Airport under a fig tree, Queensland, Australia, on a 44C day. We gave it a good spray with the hose to cool it down.
European Hare
History in Australia: The European hare was introduced to Australia in the late 1830s in Tasmania, although this initial attempt to establish wild populations failed. The first successful colony of hares to establish in Australia was on the shores of Westernport Bay in 1862. The following year another hare colony was established on Phillip Island by the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria for the use in the sport 'coursing'. Hares released on the mainland thrived with limited hunting pressure. The hare became a widespread species throughout much of south-east Australia by 1870. Spreading at an approximate rate of 60 kilometres per year, hares crossed the Murray River in 1875, where they made their way along the western slopes and tablelands of New South Wales. By 1900, hares had reached the Queensland border and become a major agricultural problem in easter, rural Australia.
Appearance: The European hare belongs to the family Leporidae, along with the rabbit. The male European hare is called a 'Jack' while the female is called a 'Jill'. Offspring under one year are referred to as 'leverets'. Male hares are generally smaller than females. Leverets are born with hair and their eyes open and are able to move about soon after birth. Similar to rabbits, juvenile hares have a white star on their forehead. Hares have similar physiology to rabbits but are much bigger. Hares have larger ears, often with black tips which play a large part in controlling their body temperature. In hot weather, the ears are held away from their bodies and appear flushed, while in cooler weather, the exposed areas of the ears are held close to the body to prevent heat loss. Like the rabbit, the hareâs hind limbs are longer than its front limbs.The fur of the European hare has a flecked appearance, made up of tan, black and white hairs, ruddy brown or grey above and white below. This allows the hare to blend in well with dry grass. Like rabbits, hares have 28 teeth with the lower tooth rows being closer together than the upper rows. In the upper jaw, the hare has two pairs of continuously growing, enamel covered upper incisors; the front long pair has a cutting edge, while the peg teeth located behind these do not have a cutting edge. At birth, the hare has three sets of incisors, but the outer pair is lost soon after birth. Hares have unique upper teeth consisting of a pair of gnawing hypsodont teeth (which grow continuously) with a pair of peg teeth hidden behind. This double pair of upper teeth is found only in rabbits and hares and cause a very distinctive, 45 degree angle cut on browsed vegetation.
Behaviour: Hares, like rabbits, are most active in the late afternoon and at night. Hares are solitary animals but do tend to come together while grazing as a response to predation. Hares grazing in groups tend to receive fewer interruptions than those who graze alone. Hares will travel up to 3-4 km to feed on a wide range of food types. Hares hide and can accelerate to high speed when disturbed or threatened. When approached, the hare will remain still in its form until the predator is within 1-2 metres. The hare will then break cover and sprint away at high speed. A hare will confuse predators by doubling back on its tracks to leave a disarrayed trail. This will often involve a large leap sideways to break its scent trail. A hareâs heart is big for the size of its body. Although it can drive the animal's legs at a pace that many other other animals can't match, its heart will not support the animal when stressed. Hares are easily stressed, panicked or traumatised. European hares are primarily solitary animals but may form hierarchies with both male and female members. Unlike rabbits, hares do not shelter in warrens or burrows. Instead they rest in a shallow depression in the ground called a âformâ. A hareâs form is usually found amongst long grass, rocks, logs or branches, oval in shape and around 400 mm x 200 mm in dimension. Leverets are born into a type of nest created within a form. Unlike rabbits hares are born above ground.
Diet: Hares are primarily herbivorous and feed mainly after sunset. The diet of hares consists of leaves, stems and rhizomes of dry and green grasses. They also eat herbaceous plants, cereals, berries, vegetables, wood and bark, seeds, grains, nuts and some fungi. Like rabbits, caecotrophy (the reingestion of faecal material from the caecum) is a behaviour that is used by European hares in order to gain the maximum amount of nutrients from their food as possible.
Preferred habitat: The preferred habitat of hares is open country with the presence of tussock or rocks to hide amongst. They are widespread in grasslands, woodlands, agriculture and urban areas.
Predators: Hares are vulnerable to predators both as leverets and as adults. Foxes will hunt adult hares and leverets, while wedge-tail eagles are a major threat to adult hares and feral cats pose a major threat to leverets.
Reproduction: Under favourable conditions, hares may produce more than four litters (each of two to five young) annually. Research has found that the more litters hares have, the smaller the litter size tends to be. Little is known about the breeding habits of European hares in Australia. European hares have an average 42 day gestation period but this ranges from 38-46 days. At birth, leverets are fully furred, 13-17 cm in length and weigh 80-180 g. Their eyes are open at birth and are precocial, meaning they are able to move around soon after birth. Leverets are born into a form and are hidden within dense vegetation. The mother will visit to suckle the young once every 24 hours. After around three days, the young will disperse from their birth place and find separate hiding locations. Young from the same litter will return to a central space to suckle.
(Source: www.dpi.vic.gov.au)
Chris Burns 2013
__________________________________________
© All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded,
displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic,
mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.