Woolly Hare (Lepus oiostolus) lives in mountain meadows across Central Asia mountains. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Woolly Hare
- The woolly hare's ears are exceptionally long, measuring between 11 and 16 cm, which makes them the longest of any Chinese hare. Their size is matched by a distinctive colour pattern: the tips are noticeably darker than the base. This combination of length and darker tips helps the hare detect predators across the open grasslands where it lives. The large, sensitive ears also aid thermoregulation in the cold high-altitude environments it inhabits.
- Woolly hares are found at elevations from 2 500 up to 5 400 m on the Tibetan Plateau, thriving in a range of high-altitude habitats. They primarily occupy alpine meadows and shrubby meadows, but also make use of upland cold deserts and the edges of coniferous or mixed montane woodlands. These varied environments provide the low-lying vegetation they need for shelter and foraging.
- The woolly hare's genome was sequenced in 2024, providing a detailed look at its genetic makeup. Analysis from that year shows the species is closely related to the Yunnan hare, together forming a distinct clade. This clade's nearest relatives are the European hare and a broad group of hares spread across Asia, Africa and Europe, which together make up a sister clade. The genetic link confirms the woolly hare's evolutionary ties within the Lepus genus.
- The woolly hare can harbour the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, acting as an intermediate host for the parasite.
- Surveys in Tibet have recorded woolly hare densities ranging from 13 to as many as 27 individuals per square kilometre, with the highest numbers occurring in autumn and the lowest in spring. These local peaks contrast sharply with the species' overall rarity across its wide plateau range, where populations are described as very low except in a few favoured areas. The seasonal surge reflects greater food availability and milder conditions in the autumn months.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral Asia mountains
HabitatMountain meadows
DietGrasses and leaves
About the Woolly Hare
In the harsh, windswept expanses of the Tibetan Plateau, the woolly hare moves with a quiet resilience, its thick, velvety coat a testament to its remarkable adaptability in one of the world's most unforgiving environments. As it bounds effortlessly across the rocky terrain, its oversized hind legs propel it in powerful, fluid strides, a blur of soft grey and white fur that seems to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. With each gentle leap, the woolly hare embodies the very spirit of its rugged, beautiful world, a symbol of endurance and elegance in a land of breathtaking extremes.
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