Animal identifier ยท Other mammals
Lepus americanus
Boreal and mountain forest. Brown in summer, white in winter. Very large hind feet for a hare, often 4 to 6 inches in snow.
What does a snowshoe hare look like?
Brown in summer, white in winter, with large furred feet. Ears shorter than a jackrabbit.
What do snowshoe hare tracks look like?
The hind print is a broad snowshoe. In winter the fur makes it a soft oval rather than a sharp toe pattern. Much bigger than cottontail.
- Very large hind feet for a hare, often 4 to 6 inches in snow
- Furred edges blur the toes in winter
- Hopping pattern like a rabbit, with long hind prints
- White winter coat if seen
- Pellets are round and fibrous, left on packed snow trails
What does snowshoe hare poop look like?
Round fibrous pellets along a packed trail between willow and conifer. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Boreal and mountain forest. Brown in summer, white in winter. Typical places: woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Eastern cottontail identification
- Black-tailed jackrabbit identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
Huge hind prints, soft-edged in snow, in a hopping group. Much larger than a cottontail.
How to tell a snowshoe hare from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Eastern cottontail. Two long hind feet side by side, two small front feet staggered. Brown-gray rabbit, white cotton tail, shorter ears than a jackrabbit.
- Black-tailed jackrabbit. Same pattern as cottontail, scaled up, with longer bounds. Long ears, long legs, black stripe on the tail.
Snowshoe hare field marks
- Very large hind feet for a hare, often 4 to 6 inches in snow
- Furred edges blur the toes in winter
- Hopping pattern like a rabbit, with long hind prints
- White winter coat if seen
Where the sign shows up
Boreal and mountain forest. Brown in summer, white in winter. Typical places: woods. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
The hind print is a broad snowshoe. In winter the fur makes it a soft oval rather than a sharp toe pattern. Much bigger than cottontail. Round fibrous pellets along a packed trail between willow and conifer.
Common questions
What do snowshoe hare tracks look like?
Huge hind prints, soft-edged in snow, in a hopping group. Much larger than a cottontail.