Hopping into Sadatło Zaà (Sun Dancing Month)

April welcomed the spring season, and our calendar featured gahcho (snowshoe hare).

Gahcho is quite an adaptable creature! Throughout the seasons, they change their appearance to blend in with the environment. During the snowy winter months, gahcho's fur turns completely white. As spring arrives and the snow melts, patches of grey and brown fur begin to appear, gradually transitioning to a fully grey and brown coat by summer. These changes in coat colour are influenced by day length and occur through a gradual shedding and replacement of the outer guard hairs in the fall and spring.

Gahcho get their name from their large feet that act as snowshoes to keep them from sinking in the snow. In addition to their large back feet, gahcho have long, strong claws on their front feet that help them dig beneath the snow to find food. They are mostly active when the sun sets, travelling along well-worn paths searching for food, such as plants and shrubs.