[NatureNS] re Woolly Bear and Snowshoe Hare

References: <4414C0EF-8785-4943-9937-1051C52679BE@eastlink.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:00:51 -0400
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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Begin forwarded message:

> From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
> Date: January 2, 2013 6:56:35 PM AST
> To: Andy Moir/Christine Callaghan Callaghan <slickdog1@gmail.com>
> Subject: re Woolly Bear and Snowshoe Hare
>
> Chris, thanks for your description which allows identification of  
> the ISABELLA TIGER MOTH WOOLLY BEAR CATERPILLAR (Pyrrharctica  
> isabella).  This is the woolly bear species whose amounts of black  
> on both ends are supposed to be predictive on severity of the  
> winter -- this tale has been well debunked, so enough said.  The  
> caterpillar feeds on many low-growing weeds like dandelion,  
> plantain, etc.
>
> As for the snowshoe or varying hare, I'm sure it has a scent, but  
> also relies on its camouflage a lot.  Good eye for spotting it,  
> even at close range as you described.
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Andy Moir/Christine Callaghan <slickdog1@gmail.com>
>> Date: January 2, 2013 12:22:10 PM AST
>> To: "NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
>> Subject: [NatureNS] Woolly Bear and Snowshoe Hare
>> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> A couple of observations from the last few days...
>>
>> On Saturday, December 29th, a relatively mild day, I found an  
>> active "woolly bear" caterpillar, black at both ends, brown in the  
>> middle, on a sheltered woods trail near our house in Freeport.
>>
>> Yesterday, on my daily walk along that same trail with our border  
>> collie, I spotted what I was sure was the hind end of a snowshoe  
>> hare hunkered down under an overturned alder root, about three  
>> feet off the trail. I continued home with the dog, then went back  
>> to see if it was indeed a hare, and if it was okay. It just struck  
>> me as strange that a healthy animal would remain so still with  
>> potential predators so close by. When I got close enough again to  
>> look, a large hare emerged from the shelter and hopped about 15  
>> feet away, then stopped still. It looked fine, so I left a carrot  
>> and came home.
>>
>> Is this usual behaviour for hares? Do they have any scent that  
>> would betray them to a predator passing by that close?
>>
>> Happy New Year to All. Andy and I enjoy reading the postings and  
>> looking at the photographs.
>>
>> Chris
>


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">"James W. Wolford" &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;</fon=
t></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">January 2, 2013 6:56:35 PM =
AST</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Andy Moir/Christine Callaghan Callaghan =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:slickdog1@gmail.com">slickdog1@gmail.com</a>&gt;</font></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica"><b>re Woolly Bear and Snowshoe Hare</b></font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div>  Chris, thanks for your =
description which allows identification of the ISABELLA TIGER MOTH =
WOOLLY BEAR CATERPILLAR (Pyrrharctica isabella). &nbsp;This is the =
woolly bear species whose amounts of black on both ends are supposed to =
be predictive on severity of the winter -- this tale has been well =
debunked, so enough said. &nbsp;The caterpillar feeds on many =
low-growing weeds like dandelion, plantain, etc.<div><br></div><div>As =
for the snowshoe or varying hare, I'm sure it has a scent, but also =
relies on its camouflage a lot. &nbsp;Good eye for spotting it, even at =
close range as you described.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim =
in Wolfville.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">Andy Moir/Christine Callaghan &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:slickdog1@gmail.com">slickdog1@gmail.com</a>&gt;</font></di=
v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">January 2, 2013 12:22:10 PM AST</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">"<a =
href=3D"mailto:NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca</a>" =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>&gt;</f=
ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>[NatureNS] Woolly Bear and Snowshoe =
Hare</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>=
</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: =
rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: =
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: =
normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: =
none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: =
0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: =
auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div><font =
size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">Hi All,</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">A =
couple of observations from the last few days...</font></div><div><font =
size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial">On Saturday, December 29th, a relatively mild day, I =
found an active "woolly bear" caterpillar, black at both ends, brown in =
the middle, on a sheltered woods trail near our house in =
Freeport.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial">Yesterday, on&nbsp;my daily walk along&nbsp;that =
same&nbsp;trail with our border collie, I spotted what I was sure was =
the hind end of a snowshoe hare hunkered down under an overturned alder =
root, about three feet off the trail. I continued home with the dog, =
then went back to see if it was indeed a hare, and if it was okay. It =
just struck me as strange that a healthy animal would remain so still =
with potential predators so close by.&nbsp;When I got close enough again =
to look, a large hare emerged from the shelter and hopped about 15 feet =
away, then stopped still. It looked fine, so I left a carrot and came =
home.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial">Is =
this usual behaviour for hares? Do they have any scent that would betray =
them to a predator passing by that close?</font></div><div><font =
size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial">Happy New Year to All. Andy and I enjoy reading the =
postings and looking at the photographs.</font></div><div><font size=3D"2"=
 face=3D"Arial"></font>&nbsp;</div><div><font size=3D"2" =
face=3D"Arial">Chris</font></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></blo=
ckquote></div><br></body></html>=

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