Rabbits and Hares
Lagomorpha
Snowshoe Hare: Barry Kent MacKay
39
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
The smallest of the Ontario lagomorphs, the Eastern
Cottontail is common in southern Ontario and as far north
as the Magnetawan River. Across Canada, the Eastern
Cottontail ranges as far north as southern Saskatchewan,
Manitoba, and southwestern Quebec. In the US, the species
is found throughout the eastern half of the continent, from
the Great Lakes south to Mexico.
The Eastern Cottontail was absent from southern Canada at
the time of European settlement, entering Canada about
1860 (Stewart 1982). Eastern Cottontails were common near
London by 1875 and had expanded north to Ottawa by
1931.
The Eastern Cottontail is found in woodlands and open areas
adjacent to cover.
.. Judith Eger
40
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus americanus
The Snowshoe or Varying Hare is widespread across
Canada south of the tree line. Within Ontario, it has been
recorded from southcentral Ontario north to Hudson and
James bays. The Snowshoe Hare is a resident of the Boreal
Forest but in the southern part of its range, is found in
cedar and spruce swamps.
A prolific breeder, Snowshoe Hare populations are subject
to regular cycles of abundance and scarcity peaking every
nine or ten years.
The common name, Snowshoe Hare, refers to this animals
large, well-furred hind feet, which are a useful adaptation
for the deep snow of the boreal forest. The species is
equally well-known as the varying hare, a reference to its
change in colour from brownish in summer to white in
winter.
.. Judith Eger
41
Arctic Hare
Lepus arcticus
Only one Ontario record exists for Arctic Hare.
Consequently, the 1966 Fort Severn record should be
considered accidental. The normal range for this Tundra
species stretches north from the Great Whale River through
the Ungava Peninsula, coastal Labrador and Newfoundland.
Arctic Hares are also found from Churchill, north along
Hudson Bay, and throughout the Canadian Arctic (Hall and
Kelson 1959, Peterson 1966).
42
European Hare
Lepus europaeus
The European Hare is the largest of the Ontario hares and
rabbits. Native to Europe, the species was introduced to
Ontario from a stock of nine animals brought from Germany
to Brantford in 1912. The species was well adapted to the
new environment and spread throughout southern Ontario as
far east as Gananoque by the 1950s and north to Ottawa by
1961 (Dean and de Vos, 1965).
The European Hare is most common in the southwestern
part of the province where there is an abundance of its
preferred habitat: open fields bordered by woodlots or fence
rows. It is a popular small game species.
.. Judith Eger
43
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
The White-tailed Jackrabbit is a species of the plains in the
midwestem US, southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and
Manitoba. There are three records of the species in
northwestern Ontario, two from Rainy River and one from
Sleeman (a few kilometres east of Rainy River).
The White-tailed Jackrabbit probably entered Ontario from
Manitoba or Minnesota as the species extended its range
north and east of the true prairie as a consequence of the
land being cleared for agriculture (Jones and Bimey 1988,
Peterson 1966). The species has been widely introduced and
has become established in areas with appropriate habitat in
Wisconsin, excluding the counties bordering the Great
Lakes. These introductions are not likely to have affected
the expansion of the White-tailed Jackrabbit into
northwestern Ontario.
.. Judith Eger
44