Morning Light XXVIII

Image: The Leveret.

Life Above Ground

Unlike the rabbit, the hare is solitary and does not dig burrows, but instead lives entirely above ground. It is able to adapt to a variety of habitats and so is one of the most widely distributed land animals in the world.

During the day it rests and sleeps in a form, which it makes by scraping out a shallow depression in the ground, just fitting its body when crouching low. The form may be against a hedge, in short grass, scrub or a ploughed furrow. When lying in its form with ears laid flat, a hare is well-camouflaged.

If disturbed, it lies perfectly still, hoping to escape notice. If an enemy comes too near, however, the hare leaps up and runs away at speed, tail held downwards. It is built for speed, with its long hind legs and sleek body, and can reach 35 miles an hour. Most pursuers are outrun and the hare also outwits them by swerving and running in zig-zag fashion.

The best time to see a hare is in early morning or at dusk, when it is feeding. In between nibbling plants, it frequently sits up to have a good look around. Its keen sense of smell and hearing help it to detect predators. When moving around a field, the hare stays close to the ground with its ears flat along its back. It moves slowly and carefully, so as to remain inconspicuous.

– Source

Image 1: Jodie Randall.
Image 2: Chris Mills.
Image 3: Photographer unknown.

Tan Lines XVII

A Computer Animated March Hare

According to Wikipedia, the character of The March Hare in Tim Burton’s upcoming film Alice in Wonderland, will be computer animated and voiced by Paul Whitehouse.

Wikipedia also notes the following about Burton’s film.

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A sequel to Lewis Carroll’s original stories, the movie has Alice Kingsley, now 19, attending a party at a Victorian estate, only to find she is about to be proposed to marriage by a rich suitor in front of hundreds of snooty society types. She runs off, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited many years before, though she doesn’t remember it. The White Rabbit claims to have come back for Alice because she is the only one who can slay the Jabberwock, the beast who guards the Red Queen’s empire. Alice remains completely unaware of why she is in Wonderland, and is confused about the fact that she had once visited Wonderland years before. She then embarks — assuming both large and small sizes — on an adventure of self discovery and to save Wonderland from the Red Queen’s reign of terror with the help of her Wonderland friends.



. . . Burton's fantasy-adventure film is an extension to the Lewis Carroll novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film will use a technique combining live action and animation. Mia Wasikowska plays the role of Alice, alongside Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts.


See also the previous post, The March Hare of Wonderland.