The white-coated animals of the Dolomites in winter

“Disappearing” is a must to survive winter in the Dolomites. The ptarmigan is certainly a master in the art of disguise. It moults practically all year round, its plumage varying from grey/brown in spring and autumn to brown in summer and becoming snow-white in winter, just like the snow that covers the slopes at the high altitudes where it lives. A white that unites males and females ‒ although they have different plumages in other seasons ‒ except for the thin black stripe between the eye and beak which is a typical feature of a “male”.

A worthy antagonist in camouflage is the mountain hare: snow-white in winter, except for tip of its long ears, and in the harsher season it has furry feet that help it stay atop snow.

But not only prey feel that it is necessary to disappear in this season: the ermine, a slender, nimble and sprightly predator, cannot afford not to catch its prey in winter. Its thick winter coat provides an effective barrier to cold air and traps its body heat, while its colour, which changes from cinnamon during the hot season to pure white in the cold one, is perfect for sudden lethal ambushes, if it were not for the tip of its tail, which is black throughout the year, that betrays its presence.

A flurry of white animals: these are the Dolomites at high altitudes, in winter. Do not be fooled by their apparent stillness: in the various valleys there are battles, escapes and hide-and-seek to survive, with beauty and elegance, in the harshness of winter.