Book 11, Question 20
Why Do Some Animals Change Color with the Seasons?
Some animals change color with the seasons to hide! Arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, and ptarmigans grow white coats or feathers for winter. Then they grow brown ones for summer.
More fun facts
- Animals in places that change a lot between seasons can shift colors to blend in with the changing background.
- The rock ptarmigan, a bird of the far north, is brown in summer and molts as autumn goes on.
- Stoats, small weasel like mammals, slowly swap their brown fur for a white winter coat.
- Seasonal color changes happen even underwater.
- More than 20 species of birds and mammals in the north turn from brown to white between summer and winter.
Sources: National Geographic, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
What color is a ptarmigan in winter?
After its autumn molt, it turns white to match the snow.