Mountain hare lives at elevations from 700 to 3800 m, depending on biographic region and season. The mountain hare is a large species, though it is slightly smaller than the European hare. It grows to a length of , with a tail of , and a mass of , females being slightly heavier than males. In summer, for all populations of mountain hares, the coat is various shades of brown. In preparation for winter most populations moult into a white (or largely white) pelage. The tail remains completely white all year round, distinguishing the mountain hare from the European hare ("Lepus europaeus"),
Rabbit stew rabbit that has been cut at the joints in a process called jugging. The blood of the hare or rabbit is traditionally included in jugged hare, which serves to thicken and enrich the dish. Additional ingredients in both dishes include typical stew ingredients such as vegetables and spices. Wine, such as Port, and juniper berries are used in jugged hare. Jugged hare is a traditional dish in Great Britain and France, and used to be a staple food in Great Britain. Jugged hare is included in early editions of the book "The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy". The