About

The mountain hare lives in Scotland and the north of England. It lives in upland areas and is most common on heathland, where it grazes on vegetation and the bark of young trees and bushes. Mountain hares do not dig burrows, but shelter in 'forms', which are shallow depressions in the ground or grass; when disturbed, they can be seen bounding across the moors, using their powerful hind legs to propel them forwards, often in a zigzag pattern. Mountain hares are at their most visible in spring, when the snow has melted, but they still have their white, winter coat. Females produce one to four litters of one to three young (known as leverets) a year.