Mountain Hare
I chanced upon this Mountain Hare a couple of days ago in full summer pelage. Pelage is a word that people often ask me about but it is commonly used by mammal enthusiasts. It's the mammal equivalent of plumage, which of course only applies to feathers, so it describes the coat, or fur of a mammal. The population of mountain hares in the Peak District were introduced there from Scottish animals during the nineteenth century. Their diet is mainly heather, but they will eat grasses, rushes and almost any other plant that grows on the high moors. They are smaller than Brown Hare, have shorter ears and lack black in the tail. They seem to live up to their name "timidus" too as they are often skittish. Brown Hares do not occur in Ireland, but Mountain Hares occur throughout, though never turning white in winter. In Scotland they are predated by Golden Eagles, a problem not faced by the Peak District population.
Mountain Hare
I chanced upon this Mountain Hare a couple of days ago in full summer pelage. Pelage is a word that people often ask me about but it is commonly used by mammal enthusiasts. It's the mammal equivalent of plumage, which of course only applies to feathers, so it describes the coat, or fur of a mammal. The population of mountain hares in the Peak District were introduced there from Scottish animals during the nineteenth century. Their diet is mainly heather, but they will eat grasses, rushes and almost any other plant that grows on the high moors. They are smaller than Brown Hare, have shorter ears and lack black in the tail. They seem to live up to their name "timidus" too as they are often skittish. Brown Hares do not occur in Ireland, but Mountain Hares occur throughout, though never turning white in winter. In Scotland they are predated by Golden Eagles, a problem not faced by the Peak District population.