Research overview: seasonal coat-color mismatch in boreal mammals and predator implications

Several boreal mammals, notably snowshoe hare, molt between brown summer and white winter coats on a fixed photoperiod schedule, and shrinking snow duration creates a camouflage mismatch when white animals stand out on snowless ground. This overview surveys research on the extent, geography, and fitness consequences of coat-color mismatch, and why it matters for predators like Canada lynx that rely on hare. It reviews how mismatch zones are mapped against projected snow-cover loss and how local adaptation or phenological plasticity might buffer the effect. The piece connects a prey-camouflage phenomenon to predator climate vulnerability, explaining its prominence in northern food-web research.