Hares are mammals that live on all continents. In Russia, they are found from Lake Ladoga to Primorsky Territory. Themselves as meat prey of carnivores, hares feed on exceptional vegetation, both juicy and tender, and rough, fibrous.
Summer variety
Hares choose an open area for habitation, without dense vegetation, which is important for their quick movement in case of danger. These are steppes, forest edges with shrubs and meadow grasses, that is, places where there are excellent feeding conditions for habitation. Hares feel great in the armholes of rivers, lakes, and various channels. They are attracted here by the abundance of fresh and juicy greenery, which persists even in dry times. Hares can often be found in places where grain crops grow.
Succulent grass, cereals, legumes are a favorite food for hares in summer and spring. They often live near cultivated crops, including cabbage and carrot fields. As a rule, hares eat tops, but they can also dig out shallow roots. Closer to autumn, hares can feed on mushrooms, including earthen ones. They will not give up on the rather tough horsetail that grows near rivers, in forests.
Winter menu
In winter, hares do not starve. They slightly change their habitat, try to stay closer to the habitats of shrubs and young trees. In winter, the hare digs out the shallow roots of plants and shrubs, and there he also finds last year's grass, which is not very nutritious for him. Therefore, in winter, the main food for hares is the bark of trees and lateral shoots, which it can eat thanks to its very sharp teeth. Animals living in central Russia give preference to willow bark, hazel, birch. In regions of Siberia, the hare can also feed on young larch.
From this love of hares for young trees, farmers often suffer, fruit trees to which significant damage is caused, forest and young forest plantations also suffer.
Spring vitamins for hares
The reduced nutritional value of food in hares in winter is compensated by fresh grass, in search of which they actively move in early spring. Due to the fact that the first young grass grows in small islands, hares accumulate in dozens around green food, exposing themselves to the danger of being caught by hungry animals or hunters.
Features of the diet of hares
Hares do not have fangs, but on the other hand, the incisors, which wear out very quickly, grow continuously throughout the life of the animal.
The digestive system of hares is interestingly arranged. A special complex that breaks down fiber in the digestive tract of hares is concentrated in the rectum. Because of this, the droppings they excrete are rich in nutrients. Therefore, hares sometimes eat their own excrement, which is rich in proteins and amino acids. This is especially true in winter conditions.
Hares practically do not drink. By eating succulent grass, they replenish their need for water.
