The winter air is chilly as a snowshoe hare hops through a Montana forest. Suddenly, it hears a rustle in the bushes, which might be a predator. The hare freezes in place and waits for the predator to go away.
Weeks ago, the hare shed its brown summer coat and thick white fur grew in for winter. It’s relying on this color to keep it hidden in the snow. But there’s one big problem: This winter has been warmer than usual, and there’s no snow on the ground. The hare is completely visible to any hungry animals nearby.
As climate change raises the average temperature of the planet, snowshoe hares across North America are facing this problem more often. “It seems like they’re getting more and more mismatched,” says Scott Mills. He’s a biologist at the University of Montana who has studied hares for more than 20 years.
Scientists like Mills are investigating how climate change is affecting snowshoe hares and other color-changing animals. Their big question: As snow becomes scarcer in winter, can these animals adapt?
A snowshoe hare hops through a Montana forest. There’s a winter chill in the air. Suddenly, the hare hears a rustle in the bushes. The sound might be a predator. The hare freezes in place and waits for the predator to go away.
Weeks ago, the hare shed its brown summer coat. Thick white fur grew in for winter. The hare is counting on this color to keep it hidden in the snow. But there’s one big problem: This winter has been warmer than usual. There’s no snow on the ground. The hare is completely visible to any hungry animals nearby.
Climate change is raising the average temperature of the planet. That means snowshoe hares across North America are facing this problem more often. “It seems like they’re getting more and more mismatched,” says Scott Mills. He’s a biologist at the University of Montana. He’s studied hares for more than 20 years.
Scientists like Mills want to know how climate change is affecting snowshoe hares. They’re also studying other color-changing animals. Their big question: As snow becomes scarcer in winter, can these animals adapt?