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Published July 6, 2024 | Version v1
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Data from: Scottish mountain hares do not respond behaviorally to camouflage mismatch

Creators

  • 1. Ohio University
  • 2. Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
  • 3. ,
  • 4. Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • 5. University of Montana

Description

Climate change has resulted in myriad stressors to wild organisms. Phenotypic plasticity, including behavioral plasticity, is hypothesized to play a key role in allowing animals to cope with rapid climate change and mitigate its negative fitness consequences. Camouflage mismatch resulting from decreasing duration of snow cover presents a stressor to species that undergo coat color molts to maintain camouflage against seasonally changing backgrounds. Winter white animals appear highly conspicuous against dark, snowless background and experience increased predation-induced mortality. Here, we evaluate the potential of behavioral plasticity to buffer against camouflage mismatch in mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in Scotland. We carried out field surveys in three populations over two years and found no evidence that hares modify their behaviors in response to increasing camouflage mismatch. Hares did not prefer to rest closer to light-colored rocks or farther from conspecifics with increasing color contrast. Furthermore, whiter hares did not seek to rest closer to snowy backgrounds; rather, hares preferred to sit farther from snow. These results suggest that behavioral plasticity might not be a universal, rapid mechanism facilitating adaptation to climate change.

Notes

Funding provided by: Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
ROR ID: https://ror.org/009hmnr85
Award Number:

Funding provided by: The Explorers Club
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100002861
Award Number:

Funding provided by: National Science Foundation
ROR ID: https://ror.org/021nxhr62
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services
ROR ID: https://ror.org/02hrqhj53
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Norwegian Environment Agency
ROR ID: https://ror.org/023jta124
Award Number:

Methods

Study Sites

Field surveys were carried out at three sites (Lecht [57.193 ̊ N, −3.240 ̊ W], Findhorn High [57.235 ̊ N, −4.136 ̊ W], Findhorn Low [57.206 ̊ N, −4.102 ̊ W]) in the northeast and central highlands of Scotland, UK. All sites were located between 430-730 m a.s.l. and dominated by dwarf heath and subalpine plant communities. The Lecht site included areas of eroded peat, and both sites were scatted with occasional white/pale, sometimes lichen covered, hare-sized rocks.

Field Surveys

We surveyed mountain hares twice a month in fall (October–January) and spring (March–June) seasons during 2015 and 2016 for a total of 5–11 surveys per season (Zimova et al. 2020b). During each survey, one surveyor walked along a predetermined route (ca 3–6 km long) and observed hares as they were either flushed (moved from their resting site in response to disturbance), or less frequently, detected by the surveyor during the frequent and thorough binoculars scans of the landscape. Hares are largely inactive during the day when they sit at a resting site above ground. We only used observations during which the observer had a clear view that allowed coat color to be assessed and was confident of the hare's original resting location.

For all hares detected within 200 m of the observer, we photographed the hare and recorded coat color following (Watson 1963). Coat color was ranked into four categories ; 0% (completely dark), 25% (mostly dark), 50% (half-dark and half-white), 75% (mostly white) or 100% white (completely white) (for detailed description of categories see Zimova et al. 2020b). For observations accompanied by photographs (> 80% of all observations) field estimates of molt were later verified by one of us (MZ).

Finally, for each hare's original resting site, we visually estimated the minimum distance a hare was to 1) any light-colored rocks of equal or larger size than the size of a resting hare, 2) another hare, and 3) snow. All distances between 0 and 20 m were estimated in 1 m increments; all other distances were recorded as '>20 m' as we were not able to accurately estimate distances beyond 20 m.

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