Why don’t northern deer change their coat colors with the seasons? Might it not be adaptive to grow a white coat in the winter?
Perhaps the difference between deer and rabbits is about predator avoidance. Snowshoe hares are hunted regularly by goshawks, the largest of North America’s bird-hunting hawks. Sharp eyesight allows goshawks to pick off movement, and a brown hare against a white background probably makes the goshawk’s job way easier.
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