January Wildlife Whereabouts: Animals Adapt to Survive Harsh Conditions

moose - winter

Wildlife that remain in Grand Teton for the winter adapt to survive the cold temperatures, snow, and other challenges of the harsh season.

● The fur of snowshoe hares and weasels turn white as the days shorten. Their winter coats help hide them from predators when traveling on snow. The tip of the weasel’s tail remains black causing further confusion for predators relying on visual cues.

● Moose use their long legs to move through deep snow to areas of preferred forage. Moose calves remain with their mothers through the winter following behind to take advantage of the trail broken by the adult through the snow. Moose use their highly developed sense of smell to find only the most nutritious parts of shrubs under the snow. Moose have begun congregating in areas where bitterbrush, a favored winter forage, is abundant on the sagebrush flats near the Jackson Hole Airport and north of the town of Kelly.

● Bison use their massive heads and muscular necks to sweep aside snow, creating craters where they can access buried forage. Their skin thickens in response to cold temperatures and their winter coat insulates them. The dense curly fur on their heads protects them when immersed in snow foraging or when winter winds blow. Bison face into storms often hunkering down protected by their coat and low profile.

● Wolverines have broad snow-adapted feet that act like snowshoes allowing them to travel on top of the snow. The long guard hairs of their fur easily shed frost. They possess a special upper back molar that is rotated 90 degrees, towards the inside of the mouth. This special characteristic along with a powerful jaw and large neck muscles allow wolverines to crush bones and tear off meat from prey or carrion that has been frozen solid.

● The American dipper, also known as the water ouzel, remains highly active all winter, seeking areas of open, moving water where they bob on rocks between dives for aquatic insects.

● Our cold-water fish are supremely adapted to surviving winter, often under the ice for months at a time. They move to deeper pools with less current and their metabolism decreases enabling them to survive longer between meals. Nevertheless, like other wildlife, winter is stressful for fish. Sport fishing opportunities in the park are limited during winter to help reduce undue stress on fish.

● Teton range bighorn sheep hunker down on small, high-elevation ridges blown free of snow. Conserving movement is important because bighorns lose 20-35% of their body mass over the winter.

● Wolves breed in February, so January is a time when pack composition can be dynamic with some wolves leaving their packs to find a mate and possibly create a pack of their own.

Please consider the space and energy conservation needs of wildlife during winter and don’t approach them closely, even though they may appear unconcerned. In many cases, they simply have nowhere else to go until snow depths decrease. Extra stress and movement can lead to their demise.

Obey posted winter wildlife closures and avoid voluntary bighorn sheep winter zones, both are designed to protect ungulates during winter. Information about closures and voluntary bighorn sheep winter zones can be found here: Temporary & Wildlife Closures - Grand Teton National Park

Get the latest news right to your inbox!

Looking for more?

Sign up for our featured park happenings, winter adventure ideas, wildlife spotting, and more!

Scroll to Top