TPO20 第四篇讲座 生物学
主题：Snowshoe Hare-雪兔
考点：问答/举例/强调/ 比较 / 并列 / 因果
识记词汇重点：
adapt/ reproduce / evolve / in response to / technically / primary / issue /abundant / concern / camouflage / trigger / shed / timing / stand out / furry / sink / play on the idea / hind / by contrast / lean / accumulate / store up /
拓展阅读：“Fun Facts about Snowshoe Hare”
一身毛茸茸的外衣，一对贼大的脚让雪兔显得非常可爱，同时雪兔也因为具备这两个特征得以在极端环境下生存下来，它们的生存足迹远到北冰洋以及加拿大北部所有省。本片拓展阅读给大家带来有关雪兔的六个有趣知识。快来一读究竟吧。
Withfluffy coats and comically large feet these adorable creatures use the verythings that make them so cute to survive in some of the toughest environmentsin the world. Snowshoe hares thrive all winter long as far north as the Arcticocean and throughout the northern regions of all the provinces of Canada.
1) Fantastic furry feet
Thesnowshoe hare doesn’t mind you mentioning its shoe size! They get their namefrom their large hind feet. Long and wide, these feet work the way humansnowshoes do, allowing the hare to travel over snow. Their feet are furred onthe bottom as well to keep them warm.
Photo byDenaliNational Park and Preserve licensed CC BY 2.0
2) The need for speed
Thosesuper-feet are also attached to some very strong back legs. Hares can jump asfar as 3 meters at a time and can move as fast as 45 kilometers an hour.Considering they’re only about 48 to 67 centimeters long that’s prettyimpressive.
Photo byAlyson Hurt licensed CC BY-NC2.0
3) A coat for every occasion
Thesnowshoe hare is usually pictured as having snow-white fur with black-tippedears – but that’s just its winter look. The snowshoe hare changes colour withthe seasons, the white fur turning reddish or grayish brown for the summer. Thehare’s fur makes it almost impossible for predators to find it. In the winterthe hare matches the snow, in the summer brown fur blends in with the forestfloor and bushes. Theirstylish coats also keep them warm. It’s made up of different layers – silkysoft fur for insulation, a medium layer of thicker hair, and then long, coarseouter hair that sheds. It all makes for a very comfortable bunny, which is why,unlike so many other animals, they don’t need to hibernate or travel to warmerareas when winter strikes.
Photo by Denali NationalPark and Preserve licensed CC BY 2.0
4) Everyone in the pool
Eventhough they’re all about the winter sports, the snowshoe hare can put their bigfeet to good use swimming in the spring and summer. Hares are very strongswimmers, jumping into ponds and streams to get to food or escape a predator.
Photoby KellyMarcum licensed CC BY-NC-ND2.0
5) They like roughage in theirdiets
Snowshoehares are herbivores, which means they love plants and berries. But come winterhares can’t be too picky about what they eat. They’ll eat twigs and bark offtrees and bushes, and dig through the snow to get to moss and lichen. Yum! Theyeven chomp down on pine needles, which are probably not something you want toget stuck in your teeth.
Photo by ParkRanger licensed CCBY-NC-SA 2.0
6) But don’t call them rabbits!
Haresand rabbits look alike but they’re more like cousins than brothers and sisters.Hares are bigger in size, and while rabbits dig underground dens and warrens tolive in, the snowshoe hare spends all its time aboveground, sleeping underbushes or roots. Baby rabbits are pretty helpless when they’re born – theydon’t have fur and their eyes are shut – but hares are born with their eyesopen and a furry coat. Within a few hours of being born baby snowshoe hares areready to put those amazing feet to use and start hopping.
Photoby DenaliNational Park and Preserve licensed CC BY 2.0