This species is also known as the blue hare due to one of its summer colour forms.

Life span
Up to 10 years.

Statistics
Head and body length: 50-60cm, Weight: 2.5-4kg.

Physical description
The mountain hare is smaller than the brown hare, with a more rounded shape, and without a black upper surface on the tail. Mountain hares also have shorter ears and legs than the brown hare.

In summer, they have a grey/black coat, and in winter they are partly, or completely white. Mountain hares moult twice a year - in late autumn, and again in the spring when they lose their winter coat.

Distribution
Mountain hares are found across northern Europe, including northern England, Ireland (where it is known as the Irish hare), Scotland and also the Alps. They are also found across northern Asia, Alaska and Canada.

Mountain hares live on heather moorland, dry rocky hilltops and occasionally woodland up to the snowline. They live at altitudes of up to 1300 metres in the Alps.

Diet
Mountain hares graze on heather, bilberry, twigs of gorse, juniper, grasses, herbs and occasionally, farm crops.

Behaviour
Mountain hares are mainly solitary, but in severe weather, or at good food sites, may congregate in large groups of up to 70. Occasionally, particularly in deep snow, they burrow for shelter.

They have a range of between 80 and 100 hectares. Mountain hares can reach speeds of over 60 km per hour when threatened. They live in a 'form' (a depression in the ground), under the cover of heather or rock outcrops.

Reproduction
The female mountain hare gives birth to a litter of 1-5 leverets after a gestation period of 50 days. The breeding season is between February and September.

The young are born with fur and their eyes open, and are weaned at three weeks.

Conservation status
Mountain hares are not endangered. Their greatest danger is from predation by red foxes, but stoats prey on a large numbers of leverets.