White-tailed ptarmigan and development of the chicks. This suggests that the hens' food calls assist in enhancing survival rates of juvenile ptarmigans. The young birds remain with their mother throughout the summer and autumn season. The white-tailed ptarmigan is well-camouflaged when on the ground. In his pioneering 1909 book on the subject, "Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom", the American artist Abbott Thayer wrote: The white-tailed ptarmigan has feathers located on its feet to serve as protection from the extreme cold often experienced in the alpine tundra environment. In addition, these birds have feathers around their nostrils to warm the air prior to
Chionophile Chionophile Chionophiles are any organisms (animals, plants, fungi, etc.) that can thrive in cold winter conditions (the word is derived from the Greek word "chion" meaning "snow", and "-phile" meaning "lover"). These animals have specialized adaptations that help them survive the harshest winters. Animals such as caribou, Arctic hares, Arctic ground squirrels, snowy owls, puffins, tundra swan, snow geese, Steller's eiders and willow ptarmigan all survive the harsh Arctic winters quite easily and some, like the willow ptarmigan, are only found in the Arctic region. Antarctica, also known as the southern pole, is larger and can become much colder than