Nutritional Evaluation of Three Winter Browse Species of Snowshoe Hares

Abstract

Twelve snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) were used in an experiment to evaluate the degree to which they are able to digest and metabolize 3 important winter browse species: quaking aspen (Populus tremuloidse), white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and red maple (Acer rubrum). These browse species had digestible energy values ranging from 18% (of gross energy) for maple to 42% for aspen. Metabolizable energy values ranged from 17% for maple to 25% for aspen. Cedar had intermediate digestible (32%) and metabolizable (23%) energy values. Protein digestibilities were 0, 13 and 38% for cedar, maple and aspen, respectively. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences among consumption rates for the 3 browse rations, although all were significantly (P < 0.05) greater than the intake levels observed with 100% commercial chow.