Page 75 - Phonebox Magazine March 2011

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March - Mad as a March Hare wordsearch words can be found across, up and down, diagonally and reversed
CHJYZHEBJCQFWXBSADPERYM ESBORLXHZJACKRABBITVYTU LNHKRZRUFULWSNYHYPEQBKZ AFRICANSAVANNAGGXMSAAKB GWHITETAILEDFEHXAQNNEQM OTNCTMPNNRMYDRUNBROWNLE RNCFBROONNEGZIIQYEBEEUO
MDWSUIBULTUDOYRISIVQMXD OXOIRISHNEEYREOHSWONSET PHOKCEUXRTTRTOLAIFPFRCH
HALESRXHAHANENCYNSZEQIW ASLEUROPEANIAVLKIIPEWTB LMYEPIKASIMRNPEXAHJIUCQ AUAPPOPGXNQLODALNJAXDRP SDRMHURCBAJHFLINMJARNAW KDKKMDSIUNMUWYTASPWCAZL ACAPEAZWDESERTEXNAAXDSF NMNITGLBLACKTAILEDJHVAC YJDDCAMXFEEAWPENFAQHAZW EDYWUVHGRHXHUPQEHTIHUOD
Hare History and Facts
There’s no evidence of Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus) living in the UK before Roman times so it is thought that the Romans introduced them. The UK’s only native hare is the Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus) which is quite common in Scotland and Ireland, and there’s also a colony in the Peak District. Unlike Brown Hares, the Mountain Hare’s fur turns white in the winter, apart from the black tips of its ears.
The Brown Hare is one of the best known UK mammals. It has distinctive, long, black tipped ears and very long powerful back legs. It doesn’t hop like a rabbit, which is much smaller, it has a loping run and a top speed reputed to be around 45 mph.
Courtship involves hares chasing each other across fields and standing on their hind legs ‘boxing’ – typical ‘Mad March Hare’ behaviour. They run up to each other, get onto their hind legs
and then
scratch and
hit each
other with
their front
paws. It
could be
two males
(known as
Jacks) in a
fight for
dominance
or a female
(known as a Jill) rejecting a male’s advances in no uncertain terms.
Hares can breed all year round and will have three or four litters a year. Baby hares are called leverets and unlike rabbits they’re born with fur and with their eyes open. The mother moves away from her litter and only visits for a short time each day to feed them. The weather is a major factor determining whether leverets survive. They’re also subject to attack from birds of prey and foxes. The average life expectancy of a hare is about three years.
Hare is the common name for small, fast-running mammals characterized by long ears and legs, large hind feet, a short and bushy tail, and young born with fur and with eyes open.
Other members of a similar family are known as rabbits and are distinguished from the hares generally by shorter ears and smaller size, and by the young being born without fur and with eyes closed.
LEPUS MAMMAL LEPORIDAE LAGORMOP HA
PIKAS
JACK RABBIT HISPID
RED ROCK ANTELOPE SNOWSHOE ARCTIC ALASKAN MOUNTAIN BLACK TAILED WHITE TAILED
CAPE BLACK SCRUB DESERT TOLAI BROON YUNNAN EUROPEAN WOOLLY AFRICAN SAVANNA HAINAN INDIAN YARKAND ABYSSINIAN IRISH BROWN LEVERET MAX
Last month’s Wordsearch winners:£10 to Josie Durney, £5 to Joanne Nickien, £5 to Archie Humphries
ABCDEFGHI
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Win £5 in our SUDOKU challenge
The first correct entry out of the hat will get a fiver...
Last month’s winner: Rachel Parrott
The Brown Hare
Phonebox Magazine 75