Green pages white hare. Brown hare. Lifestyle and habitat of the brown hare. Food and habitat of the white hare

Hares found on the territory of the European part of our Union belong to two different species (Fig. 335). In the forest belt, the white hare is common (it is also found far in Siberia), and in more southern regions the brown hare lives - European look, which only recently crossed the Urals.

IN middle lane, for example, in the Moscow region, both species are found, but they live in areas of different nature: the hare is a real forest animal, while the hare lives in more open places- he lives in copses, bushes, fields, steppes and water meadows and often gets into gardens and vegetable gardens.

The differences between both species - the hare and the hare - correspond to the characteristics of their distribution. The white hare, whose entire coat turns white during the winter (except for the black tips of the ears), extends its distribution further to the north, where the snow cover lies more for a long time and where protective painting to match the color of snow is especially important in life (remember other similar examples).

In the hare, common to the extreme south of our Union, where snow does not lie for long, the whitening of the coat is much less pronounced and the upper part of the back always remains gray.

Compared to the hare, the hare has a shorter tail (Fig. 336) and shorter ears (if the ear is bent forward, it does not reach the end of the nose); this feature is also important in conditions northern winters. Further, the hare has wider paws, allowing him to run on loose forest snow (they can be likened to skis), while the hare has more “knocked” paws, getting stuck in loose snow, but well adapted to running on frozen pasture in open steppe spaces.

The composition of their usual food is somewhat different for both types of hares. The hare who lives closer to the villages often visits crops, climbs into hay barns, eats hay from stacks, gnaws cabbage stalks in vegetable gardens and gnaws on bark. fruit trees in gardens (to protect gardens from hares, a thick thorn fence is used, tree trunks are coated with a special lime compound and tied with prickly spruce paws).

In winter, the hare has to be content mainly with the branches and bark of young aspens, birches and willows. In summer, hares have a more varied diet: they eat various greens, mushrooms, and the hare also eats vegetables in the gardens.

The relatedness of both species is expressed in the fact that in the intermediate regions where they occur together, they occasionally form in natural conditions crossbreeds known as cuff hares (compare with black grouse from crossing wood grouse with black grouse).

Of course, the process of species separation of the hare and hare (as well as several other Asian and North American hares) took place in the past, and we can judge it only by the finished results. But even within these species, local forms, or subspecies, have already formed that are less different from each other and can easily interbreed.

Thus, experts distinguish more than a dozen subspecies of hare and the same number of subspecies of hare in Europe and Northern Asia.

Without describing all these forms, we will focus on two of them - one subspecies of hare, which obviously has a long origin, and one local form of hare, which arose quite recently.

Our first example is the hare found in Ireland. By all essential features, it must be recognized as a hare, however, unlike its continental relatives, this hare does not turn white for the winter (on this basis, some zoologists consider it not a subspecies, but special kind). The origin of this feature will be quite clear if we remember the mild climate of Ireland and the fact that Ireland has long been separated from the European mainland by wide sea straits. Here is an example of a local form.

The second example relates to our domestic fauna. As mentioned above, the hare avoids continuous forests, but settles inside the former forest belt when the former forest areas are cut down. Thus, for last hundred years old, in his settlement to the north, the hare reached upstream Kama, and went around in the east Ural Mountains and penetrated into the southern part of the Western Siberian Plain.

Along with the settlement over a hundred years, the type of hare here has also changed. The hare's growth increased, the winter color of its fur turned white, and it became thicker, longer and fluffier.

The signs of the new eastern form of the hare are clearly adaptive in nature, corresponding to the special conditions in these areas environment: winters here are harsher and longer, and therefore hares with less thick fur endured frosts worse, weaker white hares were more often prey for predators; In addition to the density of fur, larger body sizes also contributed to survival.

Using the example of the Siberian form of the hare, which was formed in a very short period of time (in front of the eyes of the still living generation!), the creative role of natural selection, changing in a certain direction the population (set of individuals) of a given species, which finds itself in new physiographic conditions.

What do hares eat is not an idle question. Knowing what the scythe eats makes it much easier to track it. To do this, it is enough to pay attention to what is around you on the hunting grounds. By lying in wait for an animal near feeding areas, you can quite count on a successful hunt. But different types Hares - hare, hare - have their own characteristics in food preferences. Find out what wild hares eat in natural environment habitats, and you will understand how to find them.

There are two main types of hares found in Russia: the hare and the hare. There is also the cuff hare, a cross between the first two, but it is not classified as a separate species, so we will talk about the feeding habits of hare and hare.

What does the brown hare eat?

The hare is a large hare, sometimes reaching 70 cm in length and weighing up to 7 kg. Its color changes slightly with the season: from red skin in summer to light brown in winter. Its main habitats are open area: steppe, fields, meadows. IN summer period The hare's main food is fresh and juicy meadow grass. Clover, dandelion, chicory - wild herbs contain both liquid and nutrients. The oblique is also attracted to cultivated plants: it happily wanders into vegetable and grain fields.

When winter comes, it is more difficult for the scythe to get food, and it feeds on dry grass from under the snow, seeds and most soft bark deciduous trees: birch, linden, aspen. Hunger forces them to enter their territories Agriculture, where they can find winter crops, remains of vegetables and grains in the fields, and haystacks. Sometimes hares even enter residential areas to gnaw on the bark of fruit trees in gardens.

Belyak a little smaller in size than the hare, it reaches 60 cm in length and usually weighs up to 5 kg. This animal completely changes color in the winter: during the snowy season, its skin becomes pure white, which is excellent for camouflage. He is considered forest animal, living mainly in forest areas. This determines their type of nutrition: in different time year they eat what is available in the forest.

In spring, white hare eat young shoots of bushes and trees. When the first spring grass begins to appear, hares are easy to find in the clearings covered with it. In the summer, berries are added to the diet of obliques, and sometimes they also eat some mushrooms. In autumn, when the grass gradually dries out, the animal switches to small branch food and bark. To understand how to find a hare in the forest, you can focus on their preferred tree species. In the cold season, their food source can be:

• aspen,
• alder,
• birch,
• maple,
• Rowan.

Willow forests become a place where it is easy to meet hare. Although the white hare lives mainly in the forest, hunger forces him to go out into the winter, where he can get the desired food from under the snow.

Where to look for a hare

Knowing about the listed food preferences of hares, it is easier to plan a hare hunt at any time of the year. For example, in winter you can track a hare from the field where it feeds on winter crops, leaving many “fat” traces. In the spring you can find scythes in the fields where winter crops begin to sprout after the snow melts, and on forest clearings with the first grass. In summer - in meadows with lush weeds and in fields with agricultural plantings. And in late autumn, you can focus on haystacks, which attract both hare and hare.

Still, it’s nice to read the fairy tale “Belyak” by M. M. Prishvin, even for adults, you immediately remember your childhood, and again, like a little one, you empathize with the heroes and rejoice with them. The desire to convey a deep moral assessment of the actions of the main character, which encourages one to rethink oneself, was crowned with success. All heroes were “honed” by the experience of the people, who for centuries created, strengthened and transformed them, paying great and deep importance to children’s education. And the thought comes, and behind it the desire, to plunge into this fabulous and incredible world, to win the love of a modest and wise princess. The text, written in the last millennium, combines surprisingly easily and naturally with our modern times; its relevance has not diminished at all. The dialogues of the characters are often touching; they are full of kindness, kindness, directness, and with their help a different picture of reality emerges. An important role for children’s perception is played by visual images, of which this work abounds, quite successfully. The fairy tale “Belyak” by Prishvin M. M. can be read for free online countless times without losing love and desire for this creation.

Direct wet snow sat on twigs in the forest all night, broke off, fell, rustled.

The rustling drove the white hare out of the forest, and he probably realized that by morning black field will turn white and he, completely white, can lie quietly. And he lay down in a field not far from the forest, and not far from him, also like a hare, lay the skull of a horse, weathered over the summer and whitened by the sun’s rays.

By dawn the whole field was covered, and in the white immensity the white hare and a white skull.

We were a little late, and by the time we released the hound, the tracks had already begun to blur.

When Osman began to disassemble the fat, it was still difficult to distinguish the shape of the hare's paw from the hare's: he was walking along the hare. But before Osman had time to straighten the trail, everything completely melted away on the white path, and then there was neither sight nor smell left on the black one.

We gave up on hunting and began to return home at the edge of the forest.

“Look through binoculars,” I said to my friend, “that it’s white there on the black field and so bright.”

“Horse skull, head,” he answered.

I took the binoculars from him and also saw the skull.

“There’s something still white there,” said the comrade, “look further to the left.”

I looked there, and there, also like a skull, bright white, lay a hare, and through prismatic binoculars you could even see black eyes on the white. He was in a desperate situation: lying down meant being in full view of everyone, running meant leaving a print on the soft wet ground for the dog. We stopped his hesitation: we lifted him up, and at the same moment Osman, having seen him again, set off with a wild roar towards the sighted man.

I still want it! - says the Mouse. - And now I’ll go look for the red summer!

Where are you going? You're small and weak!

And I’ll take a big and strong traveling companion!

The Mouse came down from the hummock and ran through the forest. An upturned Christmas tree lies in the thicket, under its roots is a bear’s den. The Mouse ran up and shouted:

Hey Bear!

Sounds out from the den:

H-r-r-r-p-p-h-h-h!..

Wake up, Bear, - shouts the Mouse, - otherwise I’ll bite you on the nose!

Hr-r-r-p-h-h-h!.. What do you want?

You are big and strong, come with me to look for the red summer!

Ugh, - the Bear says, - you should have woken me up because of this... Get out of here! My den is deep, the spruce paws are soft, and I feel good.

He turned around, lay down more comfortably, and squeezed his eyes again.

No, you can’t come to an agreement with the Bear,” the Mouse ran on.

Pine trees grow on a sandy hillock, the passage turns black under them - badger hole. Snoring can be heard from the hole:

Thump-thump-psss...

Hey, Badger, - the Mouse screams, - wake up! Wake up now, otherwise I’ll bite you!

Thump-thump-psss... Well, what else is there?

Badger, you are big and strong, come with me to look for the red summer!

Look, - Badger says, - what did you come up with... How dare you bother me?! He needed the summer... There’s no wind in my sides, there’s no drips over me, I feel good as it is. Shoot!

No, you can’t come to an agreement with the Badger,” the Mouse ran on. There is a tall maple tree standing on the edge of the clearing, with a hole between its roots. Leaves and leaves are pulled into the hole. - The hedgehog built himself a bedroom.

Hey Yozh! - The mouse is screaming. - Wake up! Wake up this minute, otherwise I’ll bite you!

The leaves began to move and the hedgehog's face appeared.

What's the matter, what's that squeak?

- Hedgehog, you are still big, you are still strong, come with me to look for the red summer!

Eh, if I weren’t too lazy to get up, - the Hedgehog says, - what a beating I would give you! I wish I could have frightened you, scared you to death! It’s nice in my hole, it’s warm in the leaves, and you decided to wake me up... Get out of sight while you’re safe!

No, you can’t come to an agreement with the Hedgehog,” the Mouse ran on. “Nothing,” he thinks, “the forest is large, there are still many inhabitants in it, maybe I’ll pick up a travel companion...”

It didn't work out.

Suddenly the sky became completely dark, frowned, and shaggy snow fell to the ground.

He covered the paths, whitewashed the swamps, put scarves on the hummocks, and malachai on the stumps.

Yes, so fast!

The Mouse is running, in a hurry, and with each step it becomes more difficult to run. The snow gets deeper and deeper. Now his short legs don’t reach the ground, the Mouse jumped as hard as he could - and got completely stuck.

Well, he says, apparently death has come. Now I'm freezing in the snow.

He shrank, shrank, did not move.

And the snow keeps falling and falling, covering the Mouse’s head. The white blanket swells and swells over him.

And suddenly - what kind of miracles? - it seems to the Mouse that it has become warmer. He opened his eyes and looked around. He sees that the snow around him is melting as he breathes, it looks like it’s turning into a cave. There is light in it. And it doesn't blow. And the frost is not freezing. And it’s not scary either: no one will see, no one will grab...

Eh!.. - The mouse says. - Yes, it’s quite possible to live here. And really - is it worth tormenting ourselves, looking for a red summer, when we can manage without it?

He settled down, scratched behind his ear with his paw, and fell asleep.

OTTER AND CROW

I’m surprised at you, Otter, very surprised! And why did you decide to live here at the mill?!

What's wrong with that?

But it’s noisy, and crowded, and there’s no peace! Is it something in the forest...

Hehe, Voronushka... You are slow-witted. In the forest, the river is covered with ice, there is not a single hole. How to dive for fish? And there is water at the mill all year round alive, I wanted some fish - please... And if it’s noisy, that’s good.

And the fact that among the noise no one will hear me, the quiet one, among many people no one will look for me, the timid one... Here I will live better than anyone else!

BELYAK AND HERMAN

You, Rusak, live in the fields, in wild places. Must be a better runner than me forest hare.

I'm already a better runner. You, Belyak, can’t keep up with me!

Let's run all the way to that tree. Who's the fastest?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Well, what, Rusak? Did I overtake you?

Overtook... Ufff!..

So that! Don’t boast that you can run better than me, the forest hare. The snow in your fields is always strong, the wind blows it, and covers it with infusion. But in our forest the snow is always loose, and in order to run on it, you need to have paws like these!

Leo Tolstoy "Rusak"

The brown hare lived in winter near the village. When night came, he raised one ear and listened; then he picked up the other one, moved his whiskers, sniffed it and sat down on his hind legs. Then he jumped again and again in the deep snow and again sat down on his hind legs and began to look around. Nothing was visible from all sides except snow. The snow lay in waves and glittered like sugar. There was frosty steam above the hare's head, and through this steam large bright stars could be seen.

The hare had to cross the main road to get to the familiar threshing floor. On the high road you could hear the squealing of runners, the snorting of horses, and the creaking of chairs in the sleigh.

The hare stopped again near the road. The men walked next to the sleigh with the collars of their caftans raised. Their faces were barely visible. Their beards, mustaches, and eyelashes were white. Steam came out of their mouths and noses. Their horses were sweaty, and frost stuck to the sweat. The horses jostled in the collars, dived, and surfaced in potholes. The men caught up, overtook, and beat the horses with whips. Two old men walked side by side, and one told the other how his horse was stolen.

When the convoy passed, the hare crossed the road and walked lightly to the threshing floor; The little dog from the convoy saw a hare. She barked and ran after him. The hare galloped to the threshing floor on Saturday; the hare was held by suboi, and the dog got stuck in the snow on the tenth jump and stopped. Then the hare also stopped, sat on his hind legs and slowly walked towards the threshing floor. On the way, he met two birds with one stone in the greens. They fed and played. The hare played with his comrades, dug with them in the frosty snow, ate winter crops and moved on. Everything in the village was quiet, the lights were extinguished. All you could hear was the crying of a child in the hut through the walls and the crackling of frost in the logs of the huts. The hare went to the threshing floor and found comrades there. He played with them on the cleared drain, ate oats from the open pantry, climbed up the snow-covered roof onto the barn and walked through the fence back to his ravine. The dawn was shining in the east, there were fewer stars, and the frosty steam rose above the ground even thicker. In a nearby village, women woke up and went to fetch water; the men were carrying food from the barn, the children were screaming and crying. There were even more convoys along the road, and the men were talking louder.

The hare jumped across the road, went up to his old hole, chose a higher place, dug up the snow, lay down backwards in the new hole, laid his ears on his back and fell asleep with his eyes open.