Two species of weasel and the snowshoe hare, undergo complete color changes during the winter months. This change is triggered by the shorter days.
I'm Iain MacLeod from the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and this is Something Wild.
Well, winter is here, and everyone is making their predictions as to how much snow we're going to have. Will it be a lot, or none at all?
None at all could be a problem for some of our wild mammals, because we have a couple that have adapted for our long, usually snowy winters by turning white- literally.
Two species of weasel, the long-tail and the short-tail, and the snowshoe hare, undergo complete color changes twice a year. The short-tailed weasel is so famous in its white duds, it's more well known by its winter name: the ermine.
During the warm months, these animals are some shade of brown. But in the fall, they shed their coats and turn white. This change is triggered by the shorter days. And it only happens to northern members of these species- hares and weasels that live in more southern climes don't change color.
It would seem that this adaptation has an obvious reason: white animals do blend in better against snow. And although weasels are known as predators, they're also prey for other animals, which might account for their camouflage.
Another theory that has been suggested is that white exchanges less heat with the surrounding environment. In other words, while white absorbs less heat from the sun, it also gives off less body heat, which is a decided advantage in the winter.
I would tell you to enjoy these winter neighbors of ours in their white splendor, and you should - if you can find them. These are also some of our most reclusive animals, so if you see one- enjoy this rare treat.
If you have a natural history question that you would like answered on Something Wild, e-mail us at somethingwild@nhpr.org.
Something Wild is a joint production of New Hampshire Audubon, NHPR and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. For Something Wild, I'm Iain MacLeod.
