Irish Hare
Lepus timidus hibernicus
Giorria
Where do Irish hares live?
Hares live in open habitats – grassland, moorland, salt-marshes, bogs, etc. In other countries, Mountain hares only occur in high ground, but the Irish hare is found throughout Ireland, in both uplands and lowlands.
Does the Irish hare turn white in winter?
No. Other subspecies of Mountain hare turn white in winter, but the Irish subspecies is different because it stays brown.
Is the Irish Hare our ‘most Irish’ mammal?
The Irish hare is special – it is a subspecies of the Mountain Hare. This subspecies is only found in Ireland. The Irish hare is also possibly our longest established native mammal – it was even here during the Ice Age.
When are baby Irish hares born?
Irish hares breed between January to September. Male hares fight for females – boxing with their front paws and kicking with the back ones, hence the phrase ‘as mad as a March hare’.
Female hares breed in their second year, and may have three litters in a season. Amazingly, a female may mate and conceive whilst already pregnant, and hence may be pregnant with two litters of different ages.
One to four babies, called leverets, are born after 50 days. The leverets are open-eyed and fully-furred at birth, and live above ground. The mother only returns to feed them once a day, usually at dusk. The mother usually remains close by.
If you find a baby hare, do not take it
– it has not been abandoned.
Who are Jack & Jill?
A male hare is sometimes called a jack, and a female a jill.
Do Irish hares hibernate?
No – they can be seen at any time of the year.
What do Irish hares eat?
Hares are herbivores – they eat plants. The diet varies with the habitat. Grasses and low-growing plants such as heather, bilberry, gorse and willow are all eaten. Like rabbits, hares eat their food twice, eating special soft faeces before finally passing the waste out as normal hard droppings. This enables them to get maximum food benefit from a rather low quality diet.
Do Irish hares dig burrows?
No. Hares live above ground, although in wet, peaty areas they may dig a slight shallow depression. Each hare has a territory, and each territory has several nests called forms where the hare rests by day. A form is just a nest on the ground.
Do Irish hares live in groups?
Hare territories may overlap, so 4 or 5 hares may live in the same area. In such cases, a pecking order is established between the hares. In poor quality habitats, hares may be solitary.
What kills Irish hares?
Foxes are the number one predator of Irish hares. Stoats will also kill many leverets. Parasites and disease are also factors.
How long do Irish hares live?
Most hares die in their first year, but they can live 8 or 9 years if they are lucky.
Are Irish hares protected?
The Irish hare is a protected species but is classified as a game species and may therefore be hunted under license during the open season (last week in September to the end of February). You must have a license from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to hunt a hare.
Is hare coursing legal?
The Irish Coursing Club runs licensed events whereby wild-caught hares are chased by muzzled greyhounds. All surviving hares must be tagged and released, and tagged hares may not be used for coursing again. The effects of hare coursing on wild hare populations are not known.