Arctic Hare
“I’m always careful about my diet, because I eat too much and before I even know it, I’m bigger than the other rabbits. I’m also good at digging up the snow. Ara? Is it getting cold? Then, let’s play Oshikura-manju, shall we?”
—Arctic Hare's introduction
| Arctic Hare | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| ホッキョクウサギ | |||
| Character Data | |||
| Romaji | Hokkyokuusagi
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| Debut | Kemono Friends (2015 Game) | ||
| Animal Data | |||
| Scientific Name | Lepus arcticus
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| Distribution | Northern North America
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| Diet | Herbivore
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| Avg. Lifespan | 5 years
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| Read More | Arctic hare
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| Conservation | 
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| Arctic Hare | Pavilion | KF3 | Kingdom | Nexon Game | Gallery |
The Arctic Hare is a type of Hare Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.
Appearance
Arctic Hare's old design is completely white except for the three blue buttons vertically aligned on her coat's center and the blue ribbons she's wearing on her mittens, her two pockets, her snow boots and on the center of her short cape which reaches her shoulders and which has fur wreaths. She wears white tights and a short circular skirt with pressed-in ridges hidden by her coat which also has a fur wreath. She has oversized curls which reach the shoulders, similar to a Victorian Europe style. Because she's based on an arctic animal, her cheekbones and her nose are blushy. She has an innocent smile. She bears the tail and the ears of an arctic hare.
Unlike the older design, Arctic Hare's new design removed the coat and the cape only to replace them by a poncho which still has the ribbon but smaller and thinner, it still has the fur wreaths. Her poncho seems to hide a shirt with pressed-in ridges sleeves and borders. She's still wearing white tights, nonetheless instead of wearing a skirt, she now has an inflated fluffy short. She kept her mittens but the ribbons have been replaced by two small fluffy balls which also are on her poncho as buttons, and on the bracelets she's wearing on the heels just above her new elegant shoes. Her hairstyle relatively unchanged, only her side bangs are curly, the rest of her hair are straightened and now reach the shoulders. Because of the black tasks that the arctic hare can have, her front bangs has a small black task as well. Her tail and ears are more faithful to the hare she's based on.
Series Appearances
| Media | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Nexon Game | ↪ Minor character, playable |
| 2018 | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ↪ Observable character |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3 | ↪ Minor character, playable |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3: Planet Tours | ↪ Playable character |
| 2022 | Kemono Friends Kingdom | ↪ Minor character, playable |
In Real Life
The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus), or polar rabbit, is a species of hare which is highly adapted to living in the Arctic tundra, and other icy biomes. Arctic hare, which are well adapted to cold weather and frozen precipitation, are found in mountainous tundras, rocky plateaus and treeless coasts. These hares do not hibernate, but survive the dangerous cold with a number of behavioral and physiological adaptations. They sport thick fur and enjoy a low surface area to volume ratio that conserves body heat, most evident in their shortened ears. These hares sometimes dig shelters in snow and huddle together to share warmth, but they will utilize natural shelters or create small dens in the snow to regulate body temperatures. [1] [2] [3]
This species is omnivorous, they feed primarily on woody plants such as saxifrage, crowberry, and dwarf willow. Nonetheless, food can be scarce in the Arctic, but the hares survive by eating woody plants, mosses, and lichens which they may dig through the snow to find in winter. [2] [3]
Like other hares and rabbits, arctic hares are fast and can bound at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. In winter, they sport a brilliant white coat that provides excellent camouflage in the land of ice and snow. They are well adapted to avoid predators such as Arctic foxes, red foxes, gray wolves or even humans. [3]
Although on occasion Arctic hare interact with other members of the species and may form large groups, they are generally solitary outside of breeding season. They are terricolous and motile and move around by hopping and jumping. When threatened, they stand up on their hind legs, keeping a forelimb tucked in close to their body. [2]
Southern populations may be subject to habitat loss, perhaps climate change as well, although this is highly speculative. Some jurisdictions may have seasonal limits on Arctic hare harvest, but for the most part there are no restrictions due to the fact that most of the harvest probably is of Native origin. [1]
Trivia
- They have the ability to hop away in this stance, which creates tracks in the snow that appear to have been made by a three-legged animal.
References
1. "Lepus arcticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
2. "Lepus arcticus" By Brooke Betzler. Version 2005. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan museum of zoology.
3. "Arctic Hare". National Geographic.
4. "Arctic Wildlife". Arctic Wildlife. Churchill Polar Bears. 2011.