Project Results

About This Project

Each winter snowshoe hares turn from brown to white to blend in with the snowy landscapes. Because of warmer winters, hares become white before snow comes and their failed camouflage makes them easy targets for predators. We hypothesize that shorter snow seasons have a negative impact on hare populations and the carnivores that depend on them. To test this, we need to carry out spring field surveys and estimate hare population size.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Across many parts of North America snow seasons are getting shorter and this is bad news for lots of wildlife. Brown in the summer and white in the winter, snowshoe hares are the true masters of camouflage. What happens when they lose their invisibility? As snow comes later in the fall and melts earlier in the spring, white hares stick out against dark backgrounds like sore thumbs. Carnivores are getting more easy meals, but what about the hares? Will they be able to survive the increased predation and will those who depend on them be negatively affected as well?

What is the significance of this project?

An iconic mammal of the boreal forest is losing its once foolproof ability to blend in. Will snowshoe hares be able to gain their camouflage power back -- and what happens if not? We know that more camouflage mismatch means more hare deaths, but we do not know how many losses their populations can tolerate and at what point may declining hare populations negatively impact their predators. Hares play a critical role in North American forests and any changes in their numbers will impact the entire community. Maybe this is already happening? If we raise enough money we will be able to asses the extent of camouflage mismatch and the consequent changes in hares and their predators including lynx, bobcats, foxes and martens.

What are the goals of the project?

Using an established methodology and our network of remote camera traps, we will continue to investigate the impacts of mismatch on hares and the predators that need them to survive. Our 5-week field season will start in the last week of April when we head out to our sites in Vermont and New Hampshire to service our cameras and conduct pellet plot surveys. Then in June we will compile the camera trap photos and pellet plot data and calculate animal population sizes and compare them to previous years. We are excited to share our results with the public via social media, reports and peer-reviewed publications.