Arctic Hare – Scanning for Opportunity
Keywords:
Feminine mysteries, healing, being able to thrive in the cold, a connection to snow and tundra, a connection with wood and plant spirits, potentially clashing with those who have predator animal guides or energies, having difficult, tumultuous or very passionate relationships, being willing to travel long distances for a partner, multiple relationships, lack of commitment, scanning everywhere for opportunity, night magic, athleticism, being capable of great agility.
General Description:
The arctic hare (polar rabbit) is found in mountain and polar habitats throughout the tundra regions of Greenland and northern Canada. They have a thick coat of fur, and use the insulation from holes dug underground to stay warm. Their coat colour changes dramatically per season to camouflage with its surroundings; brown/grey in the warmer months and white in winter. Where it is cold all year round, they stay white continuously. They can run up to 64 km per hour. Their padded feet are strong and designed to spread rather than sink on heavy snow. They move via hopping and jumping, and very mobile. They are also competent swimmers. They have a great sense of smell and will dig for food under the snow. They are primarily nocturnal, but intermittently active throughout the day in winter.
They are herbivores and predominantly consume woody plants (willow constitutes approximately 95% of their diet), though will take other plants as well as fruits. They can consume meat. They are fantastic vectors of seed, distributing plants in their range. They compete with musk oxen and caribou for food. They are predominantly solitary, but have been known to huddle with other hares.
They mate with new partners from year to year. Courtship happens via physical contact, with males scratching/licking and following a female until they mate. This can be aggressive, and males can draw blood when they bite a female’s neck. They will travel a great deal to find a mate. They communicate via boxing, scratching, ear movements and snapping. They are predated upon by the arctic wolf, arctic fox, lynx, raptors and ermine. They are hunted by humans for food and fur, which is used for everything from clothing, to bandages and sanitary pads. They do very poorly in captivity.