Snowshoe Hare Tracks & Scat

So far this winter, I’ve had more questions about this type of track than all others combined. It seems everyone is curious about Snowshoe Hares! 

I get it: Snowshoe Hare tracks look like they were made by Muppets and they’re everywhere. It’s been like this for the past couple of years, and I do think 2022’s Hurricane Fiona played a role. Leaning or downed hardwoods put tasty branches and buds within reach, and fallen conifers provide useful cover from predators.

The distinguishing feature of Snowshoe Hare tracks is their arrangement. Hares move leapfrog-style, with their large hind feet landing ahead of smaller offset front feet; the animal here was moving toward the top of the photo. Hare tracks can look very different depending on snow conditions, but those large hind feet ahead of smaller front feet always gives them away. 

Red Squirrels have a somewhat similar pattern, but their tracks are much smaller. A set of Squirrel tracks are roughly as long as your index finger to the base of your thumb, while Hare tracks will be about as long as your forearm. 

This particular Snowshoe Hare was kind enough to leave some scat with its tracks (between the two hind feet) for added educational value. Hares’ tightly-packed, round pellets are about the size of a pencil eraser and unlike those left from any other Island animal. 

Hares are not strict vegetarians – they’ll scavenge meat when they find it – but most of their winter diet consists of hard-to-digest buds, bark, and twigs. About half of the nutrients from these foods pass right through the Hare so, just before the pellets are excreted, the Hare’s gut coats them with bacteria that start to break down some of those nutrients. Hares later reingest the pellets and salvage that essential nutrition. The term for this scat-eating, double-digestion is ‘coprophagy’, and it’s common in hares and rabbits, as well as some rodents including beavers and guinea pigs. (And is why many dogs love to eat hare poop!). 

It seems you can’t go anywhere this year without seeing Snowshoe Hare sign, so keep an eye out for tracks and scat when you’re enjoying PEI untamed!