March 7, 2021

This chapter begins by discussing the three types of Ithacan snow. It then focuses on the snow fleas that the author found in her backyard. These fleas were either Hypogastrura harveyi or Hypogastrura nivicola. Although snow fleas are not fleas, they use the same resilin protein as in the hind legs of fleas to jump many times their own height. As well as jumping up and down, the snow fleas feed on the microbes and bits of debris that fall onto the snow. These tiny jet-black animals are also loaded with antifreeze, and they absorb heat from the bright sunshine to warm up enough for jumping around in the cold.