Snowshoe babies hop soon after birth. They love eating spring greens; clover, alphafa, rhubarb and grass were the favorites. They grow fast and become independent in about a month. The time in the nest is for growing, competing and learning about hare life.
The doe would enourage their independence by leaving them to fend for themself. When she was away, the litter would gain courage and venture from the nest to forage. They experienced so much and became stronger during the next three weeks. They traveled further from the nest and, and learned about the forest, the resort and each other.
Rhu loved to run and dispite his size he was fast. He won all the races against the siblings, which they didn’t like. One morning they raced down a hiking trail and over the wood bridge by the slough. After winning Rhu came back on the bridge to greet his siblings. They rewarded his win by pushing him into the water. Rhu learned he didn’t enjoy water, but like all snowshoe hares, he was a great swimmer!
The young hare’s played hide and seek. They all could become invisible in the smallest thicket. Rhu was always found first until he learned to keep his left ear down and hidden. Then he could disappear too.
The siblings were all stronger and much better fighters. Their head start in life made all the difference. They all loved to forage and had favorite greens. Rhu loved clover the best then rhubarb. One problem though, eating clover made him fart.
Snowshoes are typically quiet. But they do talk. They use visual and vocal signals along with hind leg thumps to communicate. The litter spent all their time together, but they did not grow close. The four siblings let the weakest hare know he would never be one of them.
