Look who is wearing snowshoes for winter!
Winds are a blowing today in the park and if you are a White-tailed Ptarmigan you are well equipped for the blasts of winter. This smallest member of the grouse family spends summer on the Rocky alpine tundra and in winter is frequently near treeline to forage on willows and other plants.
For winter, a Ptarmigan’s plumage is white to blend into their surrounds making it more difficult for predators to find them. Another winter adaptation is adding dense white feathering on both the tops and bottoms of its feet and its claws grow longer essentially growing a pair of insulated snowshoes to help through the cold snowy season.
(NPS Photo VIP Daugherty)sl
No comments:
Post a Comment