Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) – This hare visited us at dusk while camping. The most obvious difference between the snowshoe hare which is found on Beaver Island, and the eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus), which is common throughout mainland Michigan, is the larger hind feet and furry soles of the snowshoe hare. The snowshoe hare can run up to 30 miles per hour and can jump over 12 feet in a single bound. The snowshoe hare changes color, brown in summer and white in winter. This color change is due to photoperiod (day length), not the amount of snowfall.