If they are pursued closely, they again use a two-legged gait. Individuals may fight. They do not bite, but tend to box, scratch, and snap at one another. There is no dominance among males and females. The group of hares disperses in the mating season.
Pairs secure small territories on which mating takes place.
Copulation involves the male biting the neck and shoulders on the female and often results in bloodshed. The male may mate again with another female. He usually leaves the female after the birth of the young. The arctic hare inhabits both mountainous and lowland areas. It requires broken country with sheltered areas that allow vegetation to grow in the short summer and that keep some areas free of deep snow in the winter.