DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1rc
title: Data from: Scottish mountain hares do not respond behaviorally to camouflage mismatch

description: 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 increasing
 color contrast. Furthermore, whiter hares did not seek to rest closer to
 snowy backgrounds; rather, hares preferred to sit farther from snow. These
 results suggest that behavioral plasticity might not be a universal, rapid
 mechanism facilitating adaptation to climate change.
description: <strong><em>Study
 Sites</em></strong> 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. <strong>Field
 Surveys</strong> 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 (<em>ca</em> 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
 inactive during the day when they sit at a resting site above ground. We
 only used observations during which the observer had a clear view that
 allowed coat color to be assessed and was confident of the hare’s original
 resting location. For all hares detected within 200 m
 of the observer, we photographed the hare and recorded coat color
 following (Watson 1963). Coat color was ranked into four categories ; 0%
 (completely dark), 25% (mostly dark), 50% (half-dark and half-white), 75%
 (mostly white) or 100% white (completely white) (for detailed description
 of categories see Zimova et al. 2020b). For observations accompanied by
 photographs (&gt; 80% of all observations) field estimates of molt
 were later verified by one of us (MZ). Finally, for
 each hare’s original resting site, we visually estimated the minimum
 distance a hare was to 1) any light-colored rocks of equal or larger size
 than the size of a resting hare, 2) another hare, and 3) snow. All
 distances between 0 and 20 m were estimated in 1 m increments; all other
 distances were recorded as ‘&gt;20 m’ as we were not able to
 accurately estimate distances beyond 20 m.
description: # 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 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 increasing color contrast. Furthermore, whiter hares did not seek to rest closer to snowy backgrounds; rather, hares preferred to sit farther from snow. These results suggest that behavioral plasticity might not be a universal, rapid mechanism facilitating adaptation to climate change. ## Description of the data and file structure This dataset contains the following variables: * Date: Date of stationary hare observation. * Area: Area where the observation was taken. * Dist_Rock: The distance a stationary hare was to the closest light-colored rock in meters. Measurements are in 1 m increments between 0 and 20 m. &gt;20 marks occasions when a hare was farther than 20 m from the closest rock. 0 indicates occasions when a resting hare was immediately adjacent to a rock. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.  * Dist_Snow: The distance a stationary hare was to the closest snow field/patch in meters. Measurements are in 1 m increments between 0 and 20 m. &gt;20 marks occasions when a hare was farther than 20 m from the closest snow field/patch. 0 indicates occasions when a hare was resting on snow field/patch. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.  * Dist_Hare: The distance a stationary hare was to the closest conspecific. Measurements are in 1 m increments between 1 and 20 m. &gt;20 marks occasions when a hare was farther than 20 m from another hare. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.  * Snow_5m: The percent snow cover within 5-m radius circle centered at the hare's resting site. Estimated in 25% increments. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.  * Snow_10m: The percent snow cover within 10-m radius circle centered at the hare's resting site. Estimated in 25% increments. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.  * Hare_White: Hare's coat color measured in percent white in four categories ; 0% (completely dark), 25% (mostly dark), 50% (half-dark and half-white), 75% (mostly white) or 100% white (completely white). For detailed description of categories see Zimova et al. 2020 ProcB. 'n/a's signify that data was not collected.