Did you know Snowshoe Hares are also called "Varying Hares," because of how their fur changes from brown in the summer to white in the winter? By December, most of Vermont's hares will be in their winter coats. But right now, they're still switching up their wardrobes and you might just see one caught in between! Look for snowshoe hares (and their telltale tracks) anywhere you find lots of young spruce and fir trees growing tightly packed, like just before the treeline up in the Green Mountains.

A Snowshoe Hare in Winter

What's a snowshoe hare to do when its coat turns white, but there's no snow on the ground? | National Geographic

Snowshoe hares, as their name implies, are built for fast and efficient movement in snowy conditions. Their namesake feet are cartoonishly large, covered in traction-improving fur, and the toes can spread wide to create even more surface area to help prevent breaking through snow crust. But even all those specialized adaptions aren't a whole lot of help on ice, so it's a good thing these lagomorphs have a backup plan. Each of their back feet have four toes, and each of those toes have a claw. It