Summer is here, are they secretly losing weight? NO!

Recently, a friend discovered

Some of the fur kids in the local area seem to have lost weight.

A bit bald, too.

It's different from winter. Are animals "round" in winter?

Shengsheng: Emm...what’s going on?

Are they secretly losing weight?

No! No! No! Losing weight? Not happening!

This is actually an illusion caused by hair changes.

This is called "seasonal molting".

Victim B: Ahhhh, my good looks are no longer safe!

Animals shed their fur seasonally, just like humans do, to adapt to the changing light cycle and ambient temperature brought about by the changing seasons. Just as humans change their clothes appropriately according to seasonal changes, animals also need to adapt by shedding their fur.

Around the autumnal equinox, as the daylight hours gradually decrease, the cats begin to shed their summer hair and grow winter hair, which is longer and denser than the summer hair to adapt to the low temperatures in winter.

Fluffy~ Loose~

In spring, the winter hair is shed and summer hair grows. The summer hair is shorter and sparser than the winter hair, and the hair cortex is more developed to adapt to the high temperature in summer. Most of the spring hair molting is completed before the summer solstice.

Sparse - Sparse -

Walk--

Let's go to our local area.

Let’s take a look at their “dress-up” performance.

Wild boar: Victim B’s family

Everyone praised the majestic and domineering appearance of the victim B. His fangs showed the charm of a mature male wild boar, and his hairstyle was also unique. In winter, the victim B's family all had thick brown-gray hair, which made their sturdy bodies look even more majestic and tall.

Xiaomei: We are a strong and powerful family

As soon as spring came, the victim B's family began to shed their fur. In order to quickly get through the awkward period of winter when their fur was falling out and looking a little messy, they would roll in mud puddles and scratch their itch on dead trees.

It's a bit "full of holes" indeed.

Here are two pictures of the current look of the victim B! Look, the winter fur on his body is only a strip from the top of his head to his back, what a handsome "Mohawk" look, it looks very cool!

Don't open your mouth!

NO to those who are obsessed with looks!

After all, our client chose "bald" between being cool and handsome.

By winter, our brown-gray and thick hair has returned to its original volume, so don’t be envious!

Red Fox: Wheat Ears

Wheat and wheat ears, this pair of red fox "little lovers" will also adapt to different seasonal environments by adjusting their physiological characteristics.

During the fall molt, they grow only down, thickening their winter coat to provide warmth. Their hair is now fluffy, shiny, and orange-red in color.

In spring and summer, the red fox will start to molt again, and the molting will be more obvious at this time, in order to make the fur thinner in hot weather to help dissipate heat and maintain body temperature balance. At this time, the hair will be slightly sparse, and the color will be earthy yellow mixed with gray.

Comparing these two pictures, isn't it quite obvious?

Raccoon: Evening Breeze

Birds of a feather - the evening breeze, with the arrival of the warm breath of spring, also quietly performs her unique dressing ceremony.

In winter, the evening breeze will grow thicker and longer hair, especially the undercoat, to increase insulation and protect against the cold. In appearance, she will become fluffy and round, and the color is often darker. Due to the thickening of the winter hair, she looks larger in winter, and her face appears rounder due to the increase in surrounding hair.

In summer, she will gradually shed her thick winter fur and replace it with sparser, lighter summer fur to help dissipate heat and adapt to high temperatures. After shedding her fur in summer, without the thick fur to cover her face, her cheeks and overall body shape will appear to be "shrinking", as if a natural "face-slimming" magic. Have you noticed?

In addition, the badger Shengsheng and the weasel Zhuangzhuang will also participate in the seasonal molting, but it is not as obvious as that of wild boars, red foxes and raccoon dogs. But they are all preparing for the hot summer!

Except for some small guys in the native area who are molting,

Who else in Hongshan is also molting?

Come to Hongshan to watch their "cross-dress show"~