The arctic hare lives in the harsh environment of the North American tundra. These hares do not hibernate, but survive the dangerous cold with a number of behavioral and physiological adaptations. They sport thick fur and enjoy a low surface area to volume ratio that conserves body heat, most evident in their shortened ears. These hares sometimes dig shelters in snow and huddle together to share warmth.
The habitat of the Arctic hare is generally restricted to treeless areas, north of the tree line in the tundra of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, and in the treeless barrens in the mountains of Newfoundland and Labrador. Hares survive best in areas without deep snow cover. Vegetation in the form of willows, shrubs, flowering plants and grasses is a requirement. Hares seem to prefer drier areas, avoiding wet meadows on the tundra.
Food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichens which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. In other seasons they eat buds, berries, leaves, roots, and bark.
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