THE SNOWSHOE RABBIT

Several years ago, while returning from a winter hike into Paradise Valley, the tracks of a Snowshoe Rabbit were seen in the soft, fresh snow.

Anyone who has had a close up of this timid woodsman is certain to have one characteristic registered definitely upon his mind. That characteristic is big feet! For the Snowshoe Rabbit has the most enormous "pedal extremeties" of any of the rabbit family; so large in fact that they appear grotesque and clumsy as their owner goes bobbing through the timber, kicking his hind feet high in the air as if it were a superhuman effort to raise them from the ground. Yet these same big feet serve a very definite purpose, enableing Mr. Lepus washingtonii washingtonii (he has a big name as well as big feet) to hop about over the soft snow. His large hind feet operate on the same principle as the snowshoes that we wear on the winter trail -- hence his name. His big feet and his manner of changing color to suit the season are nature's ways of enableing him to avoid his enemies for he is utterly defenseless in every way. Yet in spite of this many Snowshoes serve to appease the hunger of Martin, Coyote Bobcat and other carnivores that are attracted to the Southwest section of the Park where these rabbits are particularly abundant.

In summer he is a dull brown while at this season he has effected a complete change of coat and is white. His cousins, nearer the Coast, do not change for because of the absence of snow it is not necessary and so they retain their brown color throughout the year. Varying Hare is another name applied to this rabbit.