Scottish mountain hares do not respond behaviorally to camouflage mismatch

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 increasin..., 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 ..., , # Scottish mountain hares do not respond behaviorally to increased camouflage mismatch

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1rc](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1rc)

**Abstract**

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 evid...