In the Wild
To get through the tumultuous (and chilly) winter months, some Canadian animals change colour, some fly thousands of kilometres and some fall into months-long slumber
Peary Caribou | ARCTIC Like the least weasel’s, this endangered Arctic mammal’s dense coat is whiter in winter, turning dark in spring. Unlike other reindeer subspecies, Peary caribou don’t subsist mainly on lichen, which is a high-nutrient food in the barren Arctic landscape. Instead, they fill up their unusually large stomachs with larger volumes of lower-nutrient plant matter, like grasses and sedges.
Oregon Spotted Frog | BRITISH COLUMBIA Like many other amphibians, Oregon spotted frogs spend their winters in dormancy, burrowed in the soft earth. The frogs, which are endangered, can be found in an active state down to about -5 C. When it’s not in a long winter’s nap, this species spends most of its time in the water.
Least Weasel | PRAIRIES One of three species of weasels living in Canada, the least weasel changes from brown to white in the winter, enabling it to hide in the snows. This weasel is the smallest in the weasel family (hence the name) and has another unusual attribute — its fancy white winter coat glows pale lavender under UV light.
Winter Tick | ONTARIO Some ticks stay attached to their host until they get full and then drop off to digest their meal of blood before finding a new human or animal to bite. Others, like the winter tick, find a host and hang on. These ticks are also known as “moose ticks” because moose are their preferred host. The unhappy creatures have been found carrying over 100,000 winter ticks, in infestations that can be fatal. In spring, female ticks drop off to lay new eggs and start the cycle again.
Rock Ptarmigan | NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Rock ptarmigans follow the example of other cold-climate animals and go from brown to white. They stay that way well after spring has started in southern Canada, with females moulting before Arctic summer rolls in around June and snow melts. The males, who don’t moult until after mating season, rely on their white plumage long enough to get a mate and then roll in the mud to hide until their new feathers come in.