List of Animals That Have Winter Camouflage

In certain parts of the world where there is a thick covering of snow on the ground for half of the year or longer, animals have adapted to such stark environments. One of the primary adaptations is camouflage. With the summers leaving a very different backdrop than the winters, some species of animals undergo a drastic color change as the seasons change.

  1. Arctic Foxes

    • The Arctic fox is found extensively in the northern regions of Europe and North America. They are small animals, about 3 feet in length and weighing between 6 to 17 lbs. During the summer months, they have gray-brown coats, which camouflages them against the rocky terrain. When winter comes, they grow pure white coats to blend in with the snow.

    Arctic Hare

    • Arctic hares are found in the far north of Canada in the tundra regions. They are about 2 feet long and weighs 6 to 15 lbs. As protection against predators, a hare has a blue-gray coat during the summer months to match the rocky, barren terrain. When winter comes, the hare sheds its gray coat and it grows white fur to match the snow.

    Ptarmigan

    • The ptarmigan is a kind of Arctic grouse found in the northern tundra regions of Europe and North America. They are small birds, rarely weighing more than 1-1/2 lbs. each. During the summer, they have gray-brown feathers that help camouflage them against rocky terrain. They have pure white wings year round, and they grow all white feathers during the winter.

    Ermine

    • The ermine is a small member of the weasel family, measuring about 17 inches long and weighing up to 4 ounces. Ermine are long, thin predators that hunt small rodents and some larger mammals such as rabbits. During the summer months they have dark brown coats that help them blend into the rocky terrain. In winter, that coat becomes pure white except for the tip of the tail, which turns black.