Massachusetts Wildlife Rehabilitator Practice Exam

How do short-tailed weasels change in appearance with the seasons?

1. They stay the same color all year

2. They turn gray in winter

3. They turn all white in winter

4. They turn black in summer

The correct answer is: They turn all white in winter

Short-tailed weasels, also known as ermine or stoats, exhibit a significant seasonal change in their fur color to adapt to their environment. During winter, their fur transforms from a brown coat in the warmer months to a completely white coat. This transformation serves a dual purpose: it provides camouflage against snow, allowing them to hunt more effectively and evade predators, and it also helps in thermoregulation, maintaining body warmth during colder weather. This seasonal adaptation is crucial for their survival, as it aligns their appearance with their habitat. The white fur enables them to blend in seamlessly with the snowy backgrounds, while their brown fur during the summer helps them to remain inconspicuous among the vegetation. Hence, the correct answer highlights the remarkable ability of short-tailed weasels to change their coat to an all-white color in the winter months in response to environmental changes.