The “winter rabbit” I’m referring to in this article is actually the varying hare, or more often called a snowshoe rabbit.
While closely related, the snowshoe is not a true rabbit since its digestive tract is different from the cottontails, and newborn hares are fairly well developed compared to the newborn hairless and blind cottontail young.
Probably a couple of factors contribute to the snowshoe’s name: the most obvious is that it turns white in winter, and the hare’s huge, furry hind feet make moving through heavy snow much easier, hence the name snowshoe.
The snowshoe is a little bigger than the cottontail, and its ears are longer, and its feet are larger.
While the cottontail remains brown year-round, the snowshoe turns white each winter, with the change complete in about 10 weeks.
In the brown phase, the fur is a gray/brown, but what I found interesting about this color change was how it occurred.
In autumn, the brown hairs gradually fall out and are replaced by white hairs, with the change beginning on the feet and ears and working towards the rear of the rabbit until the entire pelt is white. The tips of the ears stay black. In spring, the brown begins to replace the white hairs in the reverse order of the fall.
Something else I found interesting about the snowshoes’ color change each year is that the cold winter temperatures and the white snow covering the ground have nothing to do with it.
The color change is actually a result of phototropism, or in other words, the changing light conditions. Seeing less light for shorter periods causes the pituitary gland to shut off pigment production in the new fur. In spring, as days lengthen, the process reverses.
Snowshoes are more abundant to the north of our state, but Pennsylvania does have snowshoes in the northern, more mountainous part of the state. Snowshoes prefer mixed deciduous forests with conifers and good cover, such as rhododendron and mountain laurel. Swampy areas on mountain tops and dense stands of aspen or poplar with pines are good places for snowshoeing. Clearcuts that have had several years to produce new and abundant browse seem to hold more snowshoes since they feed on twigs and buds, much like deer. In fact, heavy deer populations probably help to reduce the number of snowshoes since they compete for the same food.
Snowshoes can be hunted in Pennsylvania, and in 2026 the season runs from Dec. 26-Jan.1. You are allowed one per day and only three per season. I have only ever hunted snowshoe a couple of times, some years ago. Since it generally requires hiking up steep mountain sides, often in the snow, it’s often done without the use of dogs. It’s more of a walk-through thick cover, looking for tracks. Snowshoes tend to go in circles like our cottontails, but those could be larger circles in rough terrain. You’d better be ready to shoot when one bolts from its cover.
Well, it may be too late to hunt for snowshoes now, but it certainly looks like a pair of snowshoes might come in handy if you plan to head out into the woods.
