The mountain hare
In summer it lives above the timberline, among the rocky pastures, grasslands and bushes (rhododendron, whortleberry, green alder), while in winter it comes down into the forests, where it can find more shelter and food. Its altitude limits range from 1100 to 2800 m, although it’s most frequent alpine range is situated between 1600 and 2200 m. It is easily distinguishable from the common hare in winter, when it turns completely white, except for the tips of its ears, which are black. In the summer, however, the two species are similar, although the coat of the mountain hare is always lighter and slightly grey, less reddish.
It has a length of 46-61 cm, with a tail of 4-6 cm, with a total weight of 1.5-2.8 kg. It is generally nocturnal, and feeds on shrubs and grass. In winter it also eats the bark of young trees.
Its distribution in the park is more or less uniform in appropriate environments, at the above-mentioned altitudes. The mountain hare is showing a tendency to reduce its distribution area and the population is dropping heavily all over the Alpine Arc. The park, where the actions of man as a predator are reduced to a minimum, represents an ideal area for the study of the problem of the conservation of this species. A research project on the mountain hare is currently being planned.
