Mountain Hare

Mountain hares have a brown-grey coat in summer and a white coat in winter (only the tips of their ears remain black). Their fur colour changes depending on the temperature, meaning that not every individual will have an entirely white coat. They are larger than rabbits, but smaller than brown hares and have shorter ears. Most mountain hares are found in Scotland (particularly the Scottish Highlands) and Ireland, but they can also be found in the Peak District, where they have been introduced in the late 1800s. They are the UK’s only native hares. Mountain hares live in upland areas and are most common in heathland. They do not dig burrows but instead shelter in shallow depressions in the ground/grass. Mountain hares mostly eat heather, rushes and grasses. They are now rare on some western Scottish moors because favourable habitat such as former grouse moors have been afforested. Mountain hares have also been displaced by brown hares across large parts of the country.

• The fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.
• A dropping sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time.