Jackrabbits with higher variability in color genes may be better prepared for snow loss due to climate change

A team of climate scientists and biologists from Universidade do Porto, in Portugal, working with colleagues from the University of Montana and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, both in the U.S., has found that jackrabbits living in mountainous areas, such as the Rockies, that have higher variability in color genes may be better prepared for snow loss due to climate change. In their study, reported in the journal Science, the group compared coat color variability and genetic predisposition in white-tailed jackrabbits living at different elevations.

White tailed jackrabbits, like many other animal species, undergo a change in coat color due to changes in the seasons. They are mostly white during the winter to help them blend in with background snow. When spring arrives, they shed their white coat and replace it with one that is a mix of browns, reds, yellows and blacks to help them blend in with their mountainous environment. The reverse takes place in the fall.

In this new effort, the research team wondered how jackrabbits might fare in the coming years as the climate changes—in the mountains, snow persisting on the ground is expected to begin later and end sooner. This, the researchers note, could leave white-tailed jackrabbits mismatched with their environment and more exposed to predators.

To find out, the group started by studying museum specimens dating back several decades. This allowed them to see how quickly the jackrabbits were able to adapt as the snow season grew shorter. Next, they conducted a DNA analysis of the species and discovered the three genes responsible for determining coat color.

They also found that coat color is determined by the ratio of pigments in the skin of the jackrabbits as determined by their genetic makeup. For example, jackrabbits that live at lower altitudes, which have shorter snow seasons, have different ratios than jackrabbits that live higher up where the snow remains on the ground much longer.

The researchers suggest that jackrabbits with the highest degree of variability in their color genes are likely the group that will be able to adapt better and survive as the planet grows warmer.

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