Colour change of Mountain hares ( Lepus timidus scoticus) in north‐east Scotland

• Published in: Journal of Zoology
• Main Author: Flux, John E. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1970
• Subjects: Lepus timidus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01270.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1469-7998.1970.tb01270.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01270.x; https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01270.x

A two‐year field study of colour change in a population of Mountain hares showed that the rate of colour change was significantly faster in a warm spring than in a cold one. The same result was found in individually marked wild hares, indicating that the response is not due to differences in age or sex ratios. It is postulated that the white coat is for camouflage, and the duration for which it is worn is correlated with temperature because of the coat's thickness. Moulting is probably timed by daylength, and the rate of moult affected by temperature.