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The influence of snow cover, elevation, and latitude on fur colour in the mountain hare: (Influencia de la capa de nieve, la altitud y la latitud en el color de la piel de la liebre de montaña)
University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Biology.ORCID iD: 0009-0000-0955-7436
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Italy.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4765-1700
University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Biology.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6525-8342
University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Science, Biology.ORCID iD: 0009-0000-5597-7941
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2025 (English)In: Ecosistemas, ISSN 1132-6344, E-ISSN 1697-2473, Vol. 34, no 1, article id 2856Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study investigates the environmental factors, that influence the timing of winter fur change in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus). The transition from brown to white fur is a critical adaptive strategy that allows hares to remain camouflaged in snowy environments. Using data collected with camera traps from various elevations and latitudes, we analysed the influence of environmental factors, including snow presence, altitude, and latitude, on fur colour change. Our findings reveal that snow presence is the most significant determinant, with a strong correlation between snow cover and the transition to white fur. Latitude also significantly influences fur colour, likely reflecting the environmental gradients that vary with geographic location. In contrast, altitude did not have a significant effect on fur colour, nor did it interact with latitude in any meaningful way. However, seasonal altitudinal movements, driven by the availability of food and shelter, appear to influence the hare's habitat choice, with hares moving to lower elevations during winter to access food and higher elevations in summer. This seasonal behaviour may account for the lack of a direct correlation between altitude and fur colour. These results underscore the importance of snow cover and latitude as primary drivers of fur colour change, while altitude plays a secondary role. The findings highlight the need for conservation strategies that consider the potential impacts of climate change on snow cover dynamics, which could disrupt the synchronization between fur colour change and the environment, increasing hares' vulnerability to predation. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre , 2025. Vol. 34, no 1, article id 2856
Keywords [en]
environmental cues; fur colour transition; Lepus timidus; photoperiod; seasonal adaptation; snow cover
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-46798DOI: 10.7818/ecos.2856ISI: 001473283900010Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105002611254OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hig-46798DiVA, id: diva2:1953385
Available from: 2025-04-22 Created: 2025-04-22 Last updated: 2025-05-08Bibliographically approved

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