Case Study 3
Snowshoe Hare and Lynx as a Predator - Prey relationship
The snowshoe hare is adapted to its snowy environment with large and furry hind paws that allow fast movement without sinking into snow, as well as it's thick fur that protects against the cold and changes colour to help it blend into its surroundings depending on the season. The lynx also has long, dense fur and “snowshoes”, as well as excellent sight and hearing, which is aided by the tufts of fur on its ears.
Whilst the snowshoe hare is a herbivore that lives on grass, leaves and bark, the lynx is a predator, and its primary prey is the snowshoe hare. They can make up over 70% of its diet.
This famous dataset, credited to the Hudson's Bay Company, illustrates the relationship between populations of lynx and snowshoe hare in Canadian taiga.
Their population sizes increase and decrease alternately and cyclically. If hares are abundant, the lynx population will soon grow too as they have more food. When the lynx population reaches a certain size the hare population will start to shrink as so many of them are eaten by the lynx. Soon after this, the lynx population will begin to shrink due to lack of food. Now the hare population will grow again due to low predation levels. Thus, the cycle repeats itself, lasting usually about ten years.
