Woolly hares are relatively large compared to other leporids. Their heads and muzzles are slightly longer than those of their close relatives, cape hares. Dorsal side pelage from the nose to the back is slightly wavy and colour varies from yellowish-white to yellowish-brown. The rump can be any colour from brownish-grey to silver-grey and their short tail can be white, white with narrow grey stripes, or white with wide greyish-black stripes. The fur on the throat can be any shade of brown. Abdominal fur is mostly white and can have a light brown line along the mid-ventral line. In most cases, the base colour of the body is white, but occasionally includes grey accents. The fur on the limbs is brownish-white, while the fur on the base of the feet is dark brown. Leverets (i.e., juvenile hares) are entirely brownish-yellow with wavy dorsal fur, and they lack the grey rump seen in adults. It has been suggested that leverets do not acquire adult pelage until after their first moult. Like most other Lepus species, female woolly hares are bigger than males. Females have an average mass of 2409.1g and an average body length of 455.7mm. Males have an average mass of 2156.7g and an average body length of 446.1mm. Tail length (85.1mm) and hind leg length (117.6mm) do not vary between genders. Four subspecies of Lepus oiostolus are recognized. |
