Story and Photos by Doug Jackson, master naturalist
Ah, winter. Perhaps the most unpopular season here in Southeast Michigan.
However, it can be an enjoyable time to explore the outdoors. Hiking and snowshoeing on the many trails we have within our abundant public lands around Chelsea are great recreational activities that can be even more fun when shared with our best friend, the family dog.
There are plenty of surprising wonders to find along these woodland trails.
Some outdoor surprises, however, are the kind we don’t like to find, such as ticks. Fido is certainly no fan of these either. But we can relax about these, for the time being, during winter, right? Alas, poor Fido has just learned of yet another nemesis that makes its appearance in the winter– the snow flea. Yikes.
Settle down, Fido. Snow fleas won’t hurt or bite you, unless you’re a microscopic fungus or rotting organic matter.
Snow fleas (Hypogastura Nivicola) aren’t actually blood-thirsty fleas. Their common name is a bit of a misnomer. The only relation that snow fleas have to dog fleas is that they are both insects. Actually, a type of springtail, the snow flea appears to jump around in the same way we see fleas do.
These tiny, 1/10-inch long, wingless insects live by the millions or billions on our forest floors all year, mostly unnoticed. They are not to be feared, rather revered, because they are beneficial to the ecology and health of our forests.
They are what we naturalists like to call F.B.I. Organisms that help breakdown and decompose organic matter into nutrient-rich soils include fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates (animals that don’t have spines, such as insects); the friendly snow flea being one of these.
It’s usually on snow-covered winter days with temperatures above freezing that we see these dark, grain-sized insects make a grand appearance. Looking like patches of spilled pepper on the surface of the snow, the snow fleas congregate in huge numbers in search of food. Upon closer inspection, we can watch these tiny grains moving and jumping around.
Snow fleas are able to jump thanks to their furcula – a forked tail-like appendage that curls under their bodies and held under tension. When the furcula is released, the tiny animal is propelled aimlessly several inches into the air.
Another fascinating fact about snow fleas is that, unlike most insects (and humans), they are able to tolerate the cold. They have a glycine enriched protein in their bodies that helps prevent them from freezing. In fact, some medical scientists are studying this protein in hopes that it could lead to better ways of preserving human organs readied for transplant.
So the next time you’re out hiking with Fido on a warmer, snow-covered, winter day, take a closer look around the base of trees or in Fido’s paw-prints, you may just find a snowy entertaining flea circus.
As a final note, please enjoy our many public land trails with Fido safely and responsibly. We know winter can be both fun and stressful. It is an especially stressful season for wildlife. No matter how well trained and well behaved you dog is, keeping him on a leash is not only the law, but also it is good stewardship, keeps your dog safe from unfriendly dogs and injury, and prevents unnecessarily stressing our wildlife, regardless the time of year. Enjoy the rest of winter.
And, as the snow fleas like to say, see you in the spring.
