Woolly hare

The woolly hare, Lepus oiostolus, is a thick-furred hare of the Tibetan Plateau and neighbouring highlands, found in the montane grasslands of western and central China, northern India including Sikkim and Ladakh, and Nepal. It is a medium to large hare with a head and body length of 40 to 58 centimetres, an average weight of 2.4 to 3 kilograms, and fur that ranges from sandy yellow to light brown; among the Chinese hares it has the largest ears, and whitish rings around the eyes and a long muzzle mark it out. It mainly inhabits high-altitude grasslands, alpine and shrubby meadows and cold upland deserts, and sometimes montane woodland. A nocturnal species, it forages for grasses and herbs at night and rests under shelter by day. Habitat destruction and hunting for meat and fur threaten it; the IUCN rates it as least concern, though it is considered endangered in India and protected in China.