We want to show you 12 animals that are masters of camouflage, but first we’ll explain the difference between two similar terms that are sometimes confused: mimicry and camouflage. Mimicry refers to the similarities that exist between different species of animals and camouflage refers to an animal species that resembles an inanimate object. Camouflage is a type of deception in which animals seek to appear inanimate or inedible, to avoid detection by predators and prey.
All those animals that are food for others have had to develop different skills over millions of years to defend themselves or try to reduce the probability that they will be eaten by predators. Among so many species we can find poisonous, flying, fast animals, with a bad taste or smell and with animals that are very difficult to see thanks to the fact that they are confused with the environment.
Many are the well-known camouflaged artists such as beetles, leaf insects, mantis, caterpillars, moths, snakes, lizards, spiders, and frogs. Other species of the forest, especially mammals, have spots that help to fade their silhouette, large mammals such as leopards, jaguars, ocelots and okapis are surprisingly difficult to see, due to their interrupted coloration.
We will show you some examples of these fabulous large or small animals that can camouflage themselves both to survive by outwitting their predators and to hunt their victims and feed.
Instructions
1. There are many examples of species that have discreet colors to match their surroundings. For example, the Madagascar Uroplatus geckos are incredible masters of disguise and are practically imperceptible to passersby.
2. The incredible leaf insects use their coloration to go unnoticed during the day, when they are inactive. They remain perfectly still, in a position that makes them blend in with their surroundings. Leaf insects have evolved to the point where their body color and shape match leaves, including those that have been eaten halfway through, leaves that are dying, and leaves covered in bird guano, sticks, twigs, and bark. Of tree.
3. Some species seem to have bright colors when they are not in the right environment. For example, among the brilliant butterflies of the forest, the magnificent Electric Blue Morph has an iridescent blue color on its upper wings and a wingspan of seven inches. However, because the lower wings are dark, when the Morph flies through the flickering light of the forest or even out in the vast sunlight, it seems to disappear.
4. The chameleon is one of the best known animals for its ability to blend in with its surroundings and thus go unnoticed by its predators.
5. The green caterpillar, like several species of animals, can be considered true masters of disguise. These animals have the magnificent ability to blend into their environment, making them almost invisible. The caterpillar is barely visible among the green leaves
6. Here we see another type of caterpillar that when we see it separated from the branch we can perceive it but when it gets into the foliage it is impossible to see it both for its predators and for us. Sometimes we see the effects of its use, eaten leaves, holes, but you have to pay close attention to discover them.
7. This spider is practically invisible among the stones and is ready to attack its prey for whom it waits patiently, it is the wolf spider. These agile hunters blend into their surroundings and then wait for their unlucky victims.
8. Here we see another type of spider that is perfectly camouflaged among the flowers, its color so similar that the insect that will soon be its prey cannot imagine what is about to happen.
9. The underwater world is full of precious animals that have to fight every second to survive. Both to obtain food and not to be eaten by others, evolution has given many species an extraordinary ability to blend in with the environment that makes life easier for them. One of them is the toad fish trying to pass disappeared among the sponges and corals. Their shape, texture and color simulate the coral reefs and sandy bottoms where they live and, planted on the surface for hours, wait for an unsuspecting person to get close enough to swallow them with their huge mouth. They are valued fish in gastronomy, easy to find in the markets and reaching a high price, which is why they have commercial importance. They must be handled with care, especially the subfamily Thalassophryninae which is very poisonous, with hollow spines on the dorsal fin and on the operculum connected to a poisonous gland that can inject poison if someone is pricked with them.
10. The stonefish is a lousy swimmer and is the most poisonous fish in the ocean. The purpose of its excellent camouflage, simulating the texture and color of the shallow rocks of the coast, is to be invisible to its prey and predators. It has thirteen dorsal fin stingers that deliver a fatal neurotoxin even to humans. It can be stepped on, mistaking it for a rock, causing intense pain and, without urgent treatment, death. It is very common in Australia.
11. The ability of octopuses to blend in with their surroundings is impressive. They are capable of imitating textures, colors, shapes and even the shape and behavior of other animals, such as the mime or imitator octopus, which with its body simulates the shape of poisonous beings such as sea serpents or lionfish to try to confuse their predators. Like all these experts in camouflage, octopuses not only protect themselves from natural predators but also hide, disguising their presence to catch their prey.
12. The smallest of the seahorses is a fragile and slow swimmer who has only one chance to survive on the reef: to go unnoticed. Its strategy is to imitate its only habitat, the gorgonians, and resemble them as much as possible, simulating even the polyps of this nest on its body. We can see it, if we have trained eyes, in reefs around the Coral Triangle: the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea or Australia.
What do you need:
- Pay close attention to see these masters of camouflage.
- Look at photos of these animals to be prepared and recognize them in reality.
Tips
- Although many of these animals, large or small, may be harmless to man, others are not.
- Always watch carefully when you take a flower, a fruit or pass between the branches and leaves of plants that you do not know since there may be camouflaged insects and spiders that will attack you only if they are threatened.
