Matchbox Print: Two Hares

Three colour reduction print on 250gsm Somerset paper as part of my matchbox art series showcasing plants and wildlife that make up important parts of our ecosystems.

This one considers the plight of the Scottish mountain hare, and the impact that dramatic climate change is having on the hare's ability to successfully camouflage itself in winter. Over a period of roughly 60 years researchers have noted a decline in the amount of time that snow blankets the Highland habitat of the hares by an average of 37 days per year. The mountain hare's moult cycle (driven by day length) cannot keep up with the changing climate and are at a higher risk of predation, meaning numbers are thought be increasingly threatened.
Whilst the hare's inability to camouflage themselves sufficiently is thought to make them vulnerable to existing predators, ironically it is the historic reduction of other predators such as foxes and raptors that might be contributing to the slow evolutionary reaction of the moult, having taken the pressure off the mountain for at least a century. Other factors such as hare culling have also been considered (although they are now fully protected as of March 2021).

Signed and numbered limited edition of 49 and measuring roughly 19 x 28cm (deckle edges are irregular so measurements are approximate), printed area is 12 x 16cm.

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