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Arctic Hare
Lepus arcticus
The Arctic Hare (Lepus arcticus) is the largest hare in North America. During the summer it has grayish brown fur, but in winter months it takes on its white coat with black tipped ears. The individual in the first 3 shots was photographed in Churchill, Manitoba in November, 2001, with a Canon EOS 3 and an EF 70-200 L lens on Fuji Velvia. It was a raw, cold day and the hare was taking shelter behind some rocks.
When the hare is seen with only snow as a background, sometimes all you can see are the eyes and the black tips to the ears as can be seen in the head shot at right.
The next two images were also taken at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, in November, 2001. With its ears folded back and sitting motionless, this hare may look like a patch of snow from a distance. These shots were taken on a cold, very dark day with little light available.