We are experiencing our first and possibly only snowfall of the season. I’ve enjoyed watching the snow bury the grass and flock the trees through my office window. It has been snowing for two full days, and since I have nowhere to go, it’s a wonderful change.
We have several deer that live on our street and love to nibble on the many trees around our house. Since the snow began, I’ve seen one of them each day eating the cedar needles. This deer could stand under the cedar where it was dry, but instead, it stands out in the falling snow. I wondered why it didn’t care about the cold.
Deer have three traits that keep them warm in cold weather.
- They have hollow hair that allows air to get trapped and act as insulation.
- Their winter coat absorbs more sunlight.
- They produce oil on their skin that makes them waterproof.
With all that, it’s no wonder that the deer in my yard don’t care about the snow. They just can’t resist a cedar snowcone.