Protective coloration in animals. Mimicry, camouflage and protective coloration. Amazing Masters of Disguise Coloring and Evolution

Means of passive defense include such structures and features that, only by their presence, determine the greater likelihood of preserving the life of an individual in the struggle for existence.

Animals often develop hard coverings - peculiar protective formations such as shells. In vertebrates, this is the bone cover of reptiles, which forms real shells in turtles - just a few examples of this kind.

To avoid predators, the main passive-defensive reactions are also freezing, fleeing, hiding in shelters and other appropriate behavioral techniques.

a) Adaptive coloration is one of the important passive means of protecting organisms.

Protective coloration is often especially important for protecting the organism in the early stages of ontogenesis - eggs, larvae, chicks, etc. Thus, the eggs of birds that openly nest in the grass or on the ground always have a pigmented shell that matches the color of the surrounding background. In large birds, predators, as well as in species whose eggs are in closed nests or buried in the soil (like reptiles), protective coloration does not develop.

Often the color of animals is similar to the color of the environment in which they live. Desert snakes or lizards are grayish-yellow in color, matching the color of the surrounding soil and vegetation, and animals living among the snow have white fur or plumage.

A color that matches the main color of the environment and helps the animal remain invisible to the enemy is called protective, or protective. This type of coloration may be to some extent the same for animals in completely different geographical natural zones. For example, grasshoppers or mantises, frogs, toads or lizards living in the grassy area of ​​the middle zone are characterized by a green color. It also predominates in the coloring of insects, amphibians or reptiles of tropical forests, where even among birds there are many species with green plumage.

An important element of protective coloring is the principle of counter-shading, in which the illuminated side of the animal’s body is colored darker than that in the shadow. This protective coloration is found in fish swimming in the upper layers of water. The dark, but illuminated by the sun's rays, back and light, but shaded abdomen make these fish unnoticeable to predators both above and below.

Warning coloring. Very bright coloring is usually characteristic of well-protected, poisonous, burning, stinging, etc. forms The bright color warns the predator in advance that the object of their attack is inedible. The biological role of such coloring has been well studied in experiments. Individual “trials and errors” eventually force the predator to give up attacking brightly colored prey (Fig. 11.5). Selection contributed not only to the production of poisonous secretions, but also to their combination with a bright (usually red, yellow, black) color.

Seasonal coloring. The role of protective coloring in seasonally changing conditions is great. For example, many animals of middle and high latitudes are white in winter, which makes them invisible in the snow (arctic fox, hare, ermine, ptarmigan, etc.). In a number of animals, a rapid (within a few minutes) adaptive change in body color is observed, which is achieved by the redistribution of pigments in the chromatophores of the skin or other integuments of the body in the flounder (Pleuronectes platessa), the agama lizard (Calotes versicolor), the chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) and other animals.

Dismembering coloring. The coloring of many animals is a combination of contrasting color spots and stripes that do not match the shape of the animal, but blend in tone and pattern with the surrounding background. This coloring seems to dismember the animal’s body, hence its name. Zebras and giraffes have distinctive colors. Their striped and spotted figures are almost invisible against the background of the vegetation of African savannas, especially at dusk, when predators go hunting. With the help of dismembering coloration, a great camouflage effect is achieved in some amphibians. Thus, the body of a toad (Bufo superciliaris) living in South Africa is visually divided into two parts, due to which the animal completely loses its outline. Many snakes, including the Gaboon viper, have luxurious, dismembering colors. The bright geometric pattern erases the contours of the snake’s body and makes it completely invisible against the backdrop of variegated vegetation and fallen leaves. This type of coloring is also characteristic of many inhabitants of the underwater world, especially coral fish. The most variegated colors are found in representatives of the bristletooth family, for example, angelfish or pennant bristletooths. Dismembering coloring disrupts the impression of the contours of the body. In this case, not only does the outline of the animal merge with the surrounding background, but it also makes it difficult to determine the outline of vital organs, such as the eyes of vertebrates. Many unrelated animals exhibit the same camouflage of the eyes with dark spots and stripes.

Repellent coloring. Animals with bright colors are clearly visible against the surrounding background. As a rule, such animals stay open and do not hide when there is danger. They do not need to be careful or hasty, since they are most often inedible or poisonous. Their bright coloring is a kind of warning to others - don't touch them!

Repelling, or warning, colors are various combinations of the most contrasting colors: red, black, yellow, white. Those species of animals whose skin glands secrete poisonous mucus, such as fire salamanders or dart frogs, also have a repellent coloration. The mucus of dart frogs is so poisonous that the natives use it to treat the tips of hunting arrows. One poisoned arrow can kill such a large animal as a leopard.

Some animals with intimidating colors, such as boxfish, have a hard “shell” that protects them from attack by other fish.

Mimicry. Mimicry is the similarity of a defenseless and edible species with one or more representatives of genetically unrelated species, well protected from attack by predators.

In recent years, many interesting examples of mimicry have been discovered. One of them is an example of Müllerian mimicry in fish. The blenny (Meiaeanthus nigrolineatus) in the early stages of development looks like juvenile cardinal fish from the family Apogonidae, the only way to protect itself is to form a school. In the early stages, the coloration of juvenile blennies is close to the coloration of cardinals: dark stripes on a light background on the sides of the body and a dark spot with a bright border at the base of the caudal fin. In adult dogs, the color is gray-blue and monotonous. Adult blennies are highly poisonous, while juveniles are mildly poisonous. Juvenile blenny are saved only in flocks of cardinals, and adult forms form their own flocks.

Milk snake imitates color

Changing color. Nature has endowed some animals with the ability to change color when transitioning from one color environment to another. This property serves as reliable protection for the animal, as it makes it unnoticeable in any environment.

In addition to the flounder fish, which is well known for its rapid color change, the thalassoma fish, which is blue in the water column and turns yellow at the bottom, changes its color to match its environment. Pipefish, pipits and blennies instantly become camouflaged: in the zone of red algae they acquire a red color, among green algae they become green, and in a yellow environment they become yellow.

Some lizards also change color. This property is especially pronounced in the tree lizard chameleon. The rapid change of color from green to yellow or brown makes it almost invisible on the branches among the foliage. In addition, the chameleon can scare away the enemy by quickly changing the color of contrasting colors, becoming either bright green, then red or black.

Some amphibians and crustaceans masterfully control their colors.

b) Protective form.

There are many animals whose body shape is similar to some object in the environment. Such similarity often saves the animal from enemies, especially if this animal also has a protective coloring. Some fish also camouflage themselves using their protective body shape. The appearance of such fish is quite peculiar, and their names are original, for example, clownfish, raghorse. The clownfish lives in sargassum algae, through which it moves using its pectoral and ventral fins. Thanks to its color and bizarre shape, it is completely lost in the thickets. It bears little resemblance to fish and rag-horse. Its body is equipped with numerous spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths; they fluctuate all the time, and therefore it is almost impossible to distinguish fish from algae.

b) Intimidating pose

Many animals that do not have sufficient strength to repel the enemy still try to scare him away by taking various frightening poses. For example, the long-eared lizard spreads its legs wide, opens its mouth to the limit and stretches the parotid folds, which become filled with blood and together with the mouth create the impression of a huge mouth. The frilled lizard achieves an even more frightening effect. Taking a frightening pose, she suddenly, like an umbrella, opens the skin membrane located around the neck. The sudden appearance of a brightly colored collar (cloak) surrounding a widely grinning mouth scares off many of its enemies.

Among snakes with a fearsome pose, cobras, collared snakes and especially the gray tree snake are interesting, in which, when scaring off an enemy, the shape and color of the front part of the body sharply changes. In addition, the snake sticks out a long red tongue and throws it over its head.

c) Fading

A defensive tactic for some animals is a position of complete immobility. So, upon seeing an enemy, a running hare or deer freezes in place. Thanks to this, they can remain undetected. The freezing instinct is well developed in birds. Nocturnal birds, such as bitterns and nightjars, freeze for the day. This behavior is clearly expressed in solitary birds during the incubation period. Thus, a woodcock sitting on a nest, noticing danger, presses tightly to the ground and freezes. Concealing coloring and motionless pose make it completely invisible.

There are animals that, at a moment of danger, fall into a state of stupor. A classic example is the behavior of the opossum. Unable to escape from the enemy in time, the animal falls on its side and becomes motionless, imitating death. The attacker, having sniffed the prostrate body, usually leaves, and after a while the possum “comes to life” and flees. This behavior may not be pretense, but the animal’s shock reaction to a critical situation.

The impression of death is also created by some reptiles, for example, hog snakes, which, in case of danger, lie motionless on the ground with their belly up.

d) Autotomy

An original defensive technique in animals is autotomy - the ability to instantly discard a certain part of the body at the moment of nervous irritation. This reaction is typical, for example, of many lizards. When the attacker grabs the lizard by the tail, it leaves it to the enemy and runs away. Self-mutilation occurs not consciously and not from the fragility of the organ (it is very difficult to tear off the tail of a dead lizard), but under the influence of nervous irritation. The pain caused to the tail leads to a sharp contraction of certain muscles, and the tail is automatically thrown away. The rejected organs continue to move for some time: the discarded limbs contract, the tentacles and tails wriggle, attracting the attention of the attacker. Thanks to this, the animal manages to escape.

In some animals, autotomy is associated with regeneration—the restoration of lost organs, for example in lizards.

e) Rescue in flight, escape

In the struggle to preserve life, some animals use techniques that are completely unusual for representatives of their class. Thus, among fish there are species that have adapted to flight and use it as a way of protecting themselves from attack. Such flyers include, for example, fish from the flying fish family and the wedge-bellied family. Fleeing from overtaking predators, they slip out of the water. Flying fish spread their huge pectoral fins, and some species also ventral fins, in the air and glide over the water, usually flying up to several tens of meters. Wedge bellies stay on the surface thanks to fast and frequent strokes of the pectoral fins and can fly up to five meters.

There are also “glider pilots” among reptiles, for example the flying dragon lizard. This reptile has false ribs with skin membranes. When the dragon is at rest, they are pressed tightly to the body. In case of danger, the lizard spreads them, forming the semblance of two wide semicircular wings, and quickly glides to a distance of up to 30 meters. In flight, decorated tree snakes also escape from attack. They flatten the body, spreading the ribs and drawing in the stomach. Having given their body a flat shape, the snakes either fly to another tree or gently glide to the ground. Tree frogs from the copepod family also use gliding flight to escape from enemies. These amphibians have membranes between their toes. Spreading their fingers wide and stretching their membranes, the frogs glide down easily, as if on wings.

Many young women suffer from the consequences of a wild and active youth reflected on their skin - all kinds of scars from falling off a bike; strange moles that appear as a result of prolonged exposure to the sun; "lumpy" or "spider" veins.

Modern medicine offers many ways to reduce the appearance of these skin imperfections. Although most scars cannot be completely removed, you can greatly improve their appearance and make them less noticeable.

Scars

Ingredients such as glycolic and salicylic acid (which gradually soften and exfoliate tough skin) help make scars less noticeable, as do ingredients with light-reflecting pigments such as kojic acid or hydroquinone.

A scar is a scar on the skin from a healed wound that is predominantly composed of inelastic collagen fibers. Scar tissue is usually misshapen and very different from the normal tissue surrounding it.

Allium extract (also called alium) has a softening effect on all types of scars, improving their appearance (when used 2-4 times daily for 1-4 months).

Topical gels or silicone bandages also have a positive effect on scars. If you really want to achieve visible results, it is recommended to use the gel 2-4 times a day or wear a bandage continuously for 4 months. You can get rid of scars and unsightly defects on the skin using the cosmetic procedure of microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing. Microdermabrasion involves the gradual “erasing” of the upper layer of the epidermis with a flow of inert microcrystals (aluminum oxide) with their simultaneous removal through a special vacuum system. It stimulates the formation of collagen and elastin, and improves skin tone.

Moles

Not all moles are dangerous. The only potential dangers are “irregular” moles or moles that suddenly change, which may be a sign of skin cancer. To always keep the situation under control and solve the problem at the initial stage, independently perform a monthly examination of your own body, carefully examining each mole.

If you notice any of the following signs, contact your doctor:
- The mole has changed color, size or shape;
- A mole that itches, bleeds or has a hard surface;
- Mole with asymmetrical edges.

Stretch marks

Stretch marks, also known medically as pregnancy scars, are cracks that appear in the middle layer of the skin. As a rule, stretch marks occur with a sharp increase in body weight, when the skin does not have time to adapt to the changes occurring (for example, during pregnancy, sudden weight gain or rapid growth of muscle mass). And although stretch marks fade over time, they still remain quite noticeable, lowering a person’s self-esteem.

Perhaps no other skin defect causes such controversy among dermatologists. Some claim that stretch marks are curable, others, on the contrary, insist that no remedy can remove stretch marks, while others are of an intermediate opinion. Daily use of tretinoin ointment/gel, or a product containing glycolic acid or onion extract, has been shown to improve skin conditions in some people.

In this case, cosmetic procedures such as microdembrasion, laser resurfacing or photopigmentation will also be effective means. Some people claim that they have been able to get rid of stretch marks by using vitamin E and jojoba oil. If you have stretch marks and are looking to get rid of them, you can experiment and try different remedies to achieve positive results.

Vein problems

Lumpy veins - also known as spider or thread veins, or simply damaged capillaries - are veins that have lost their elasticity, causing them to stretch and dilate. These unnaturally dilated veins fill with blood, making them extremely visible under the skin. At one time, dermatologists cauterized these small vessels with electric current. Today, cauterization has been replaced by cosmetic lasers - modern technologies that lead to good cosmetic results, eliminating the effect of cobwebs on the legs.

Varicose veins, which are predominantly found on the legs, come in a dark blue, green, or purple hue. Varicose veins of the legs occur when the valves of the veins fail. The function of the valves is to move blood towards the heart, but pregnancy, excess weight, blood clots, or a hereditary defect can cause them to malfunction. When this happens, the valve cannot close properly, causing blood to leak into the veins. A saline solution is used to shrink an enlarged vein. In difficult cases, the entire vein is removed.

Unpleasant smell

Despite regular brushing of teeth and systematic oral care, some people still have bad breath. In this case, the problem is not in the teeth, but in the throat and tongue. The less oxygen enters the mouth, the stronger the unpleasant odor of sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds are also found in onions and garlic, which explains the strong odor from the mouth after consuming them.

To prevent unpleasant odor, drink as much water as possible throughout the day. Use a variety of mouth rinses. Consume oxygen-rich foods, such as celery or parsley. If following these recommendations you do not see any improvement, you should contact your dentist.

Warts on hands

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus. Warts can appear if you come into close contact with someone who has them. Fortunately, this disease is treatable. Nowadays, warts can be removed using a cauterization procedure or laser at any cosmetology center.

Salicylic acid is also an effective treatment for warts. The main disadvantage of this skin defect is the possibility of their reappearance. We recommend that you always maintain good personal hygiene and avoid using other people's items, such as towels, scrubs or clothing.

Many animals do not take any special actions to protect themselves from enemies. Nature took care of them, giving them various protective devices that allow them to passively defend themselves from predators. Some have a protective coloring, which makes them invisible to the eyes of enemies, while others, on the contrary, have a very bright, deterrent coloring, warning the predator that this animal is poisonous or inedible. Some animals have a body shape that resembles the objects around them, which also misleads the predator and saves the animal from death.

In nature, both predators and their prey are often forced to live side by side. And predators often become someone’s prey themselves. To survive, animals camouflage themselves to match the color and shape of the environment in which they live. For example, desert snakes or lizards are grayish-yellow in color, matching the color of the surrounding soil and vegetation, and animals living among the snow have white fur or plumage.

White partridge in summer dress

Coloring that matches the main color of the environment and helps the animal remain invisible is called protective or protective. This type of coloration may be to some extent the same for animals in completely different geographical natural zones.

Incubating females that nest in open places are saved from extermination by the fact that their coloring is usually in harmony with the surrounding environment and is protective. Males have more varied coloring, but, in general, their coloring remains protective. This happens in birds that live in pairs and in which the male takes part in caring for the offspring.

In the case of pronounced sexual dimorphism, in birds living in “polygamy” (many chickens, wild ducks), the plumage of females, who have to incubate eggs and care for their offspring, has a more modest, “partridge” color, which makes even a large bird inconspicuous, while their males wear a brighter outfit. In such birds, the life of the male turns out to be less precious for the preservation of the species, since he does not take part in caring for the offspring, and in the event of his death, other males take possession of the females.

Green color is the best camouflage

Since the main color of vegetation is green, and the vegetation itself occupies significant spaces, there are a lot of green-colored animals. Many insects, amphibians, reptiles and some birds living in the middle geographical zone have this color, in its different variations: grasshoppers, mantises, frogs, toads, lizards, as well as insects, amphibians and reptiles of tropical forests, where even among birds there are many species with green plumage. Among mammals there are also animals whose fur has a greenish tint. For example, a tropical forest dweller is a sloth.

English entomologists have calculated that of the 50 local species of butterflies that fly in the fall, 42 species are colored in the autumn tones of fading vegetation.

In those natural areas where the seasons change and the vegetation turns yellow, orange and red in autumn, animals with the same color are found.

Animals of the North have to adapt to two directly opposite colors of the environment over the course of one year. If in the warm season the local nature has dark tones, then in winter everything is white. Therefore, animals that want to be invisible cannot have the same color throughout the year, unlike animals in more temperate latitudes, where the color contrasts of the environment do not change so dramatically. Many animals at high latitudes change their color throughout the year depending on the color of their environment. So, in the winter they molt and change the dark color of their plumage or fur to white. The white hare, widespread in Russia, has a reddish-gray coat in summer, and in the fall, as cold weather approaches, it sheds: the old coat falls out, and a new, white coat grows in its place. The ptarmigan in summer has reddish-brownish plumage, matching the color of the moss swamps where it usually builds its nest, and with the onset of winter it turns white, which is reflected in its species name.

Seasonal coloring is also observed among insects, for example, in leaf insects. With folded wings and tucked paws, they look remarkably like a leaf - hence, apparently, their name. In summer, leaf beetles are green, and with the onset of autumn, the color of their wings becomes brownish-yellow, matching the yellowed foliage, so it is very difficult to notice this insect among the leaves at any time of the year. The caterpillar of the oak shuttle butterfly also “dresses” for the season. In the spring, when the caterpillar feeds on oak buds, it is pink in color; in the summer its color becomes green, and in the fall it turns brown.

Bright color - protection for butterflies

The most numerous group of animals on earth are insects. In this group of living beings, there is an amazing variety of colors and shapes, a consequence of the adaptive evolution of these animals to different environmental conditions, a particular manifestation of which is considered to be protective devices. Insects are a favorite delicacy for many animals, therefore, in order to preserve themselves as a species, they have developed in the process of evolutionary development a wide variety of methods of protection from numerous predators.

Migratory monarch butterfly

Perhaps the most noticeable group of insects is butterflies, thanks to their large, variegated, brightly colored wings, they adorn a wide variety of natural communities. The distant ancestors of butterflies were wingless; instead of wings, they had small growths that protected the respiratory slits from drying out. Over thousands of years, small growths increased in size and gradually turned into wings - membranous structures used for flight. The acquisition of wings and the ability to fly in the process of evolution allowed butterflies to move considerable distances in search of food (the search area increased), and in some cases to escape in the air from the presence of terrestrial predators everywhere. The larger the wing area, the better they are for long, quiet soaring. However, the increase in the wings and, in connection with this, the overall size of the butterflies, which in no way affected their defensive qualities, at the same time made the butterflies noticeable to many potential predators. Therefore, some species of butterflies have stopped in their development on relatively short wings, which makes them less noticeable and more skillful and evasive in flight.

Most brightly colored butterfly species have different colored wings. The upper surface is bright and catchy, while the underside is gray-brown tones. As soon as a butterfly sits on a plant and folds its wings, their bright color is immediately replaced by a discreet, usually monochromatic, color on the underside. Thus, the peacock butterfly has large spots on its open wings that shimmer in all colors - from brown or black to yellow or red, and the underside is painted in modest black-brown tones.

Other butterfly species "took a different evolutionary path." Their large wings, painted in a wide variety of colors, allow the butterflies to somehow survive. The fact is that they fly over flowering meadows and forest glades, where the same bright and colorful flowers grow. It is sometimes difficult for a predator to distinguish flying beauties from equally brightly decorated flowers, against which the butterflies are almost invisible.

Most moths have mostly gray wings with a subtle but often complex pattern of black lines and dots. During the day they sit on the bark of trees, in branches or under stones and almost completely blend into this background.

Ribbon butterfly

There are moths whose upper wings are painted in gray tones, and the lower ones in a bright color, such as red. Such butterflies use a different method of protection: many predators are afraid of conspicuous coloring, which in many cases is associated with some kind of danger. These butterflies include some bear butterflies, whose upper wings are painted in white and brown tones, and the lower wings are bright red with black spots.

There are butterflies that have images of heads, eyes and antennae on the lower part of their wings. This helps in many cases to preserve your head and senses.

Usually the butterfly sits so that the front wings, invisible against the surrounding background, cover the hind wings. In moments of danger, she moves her front wings, and fiery red highlights flash from under them, often accentuated by a blue or black pattern. The rapid change of pattern frightens the attacker.

Ribbon butterflies have grayish-brown upper wings with many stripes, lines, and spots. When the ribbon fly sits along a tree trunk and folds its wings into a “house,” it literally merges with the color and pattern of the bark. If, despite this camouflage, the butterfly is nevertheless discovered, it instantly reveals a pattern on the hind wings, surprisingly reminiscent of the eyes of some vertebrate. This may scare away small birds.

Repellent coloration of the caterpillar

An important element of protective coloring is the principle of counter-shading, in which the illuminated side of the animal’s body is colored darker than that in the shadow. This protective coloration is found in fish swimming in the upper layers of water. The dark, but illuminated by the sun's rays, back and light, but shaded abdomen make these fish unnoticeable to predators both above and below.

Among the animal world there are invisible animals. They are colorless and almost transparent, making them invisible against any background. The larva of the cladoceran mosquito Chaoborus plumicornis has extraordinary transparency: through its body, as through glass, you can see underwater objects. This is a way of protecting against numerous enemies. The large wings of a butterfly from the genus Ithomia, which lives in Trinidad, are completely transparent, and when it sits on the ground or on a plant, surrounding objects are visible through them, which helps it to some extent remain invisible. The caterpillars of the Phlogophora meticolosa butterfly are also transparent, so much so that the intestines filled with green mush can be seen through their covers; it helps this invisible creature camouflage itself among the green plants on which it feeds.

There are also invisible fish among fish. Thus, the perch that lives in the reservoirs of the Indian coast, due to the amazing transparency of the body, especially at a young age, received the name glass. This coloring, or rather its absence, saves it from many enemies. And this is not an exceptional case among fish. Spiny chanda, Commerson's perch and some other species are also transparent.

Zebra camouflage coloring

The coloring of many animals is a combination of contrasting color spots and stripes that do not correspond to the outlines of the animal’s body, but blend in tone and pattern with the surrounding background. This coloration seems to dismember the animal’s body, hence its name.

Zebras and giraffes have distinctive colors. Their striped and spotted figures are almost invisible against the background of the vegetation of African savannas, especially at dusk, when predators go hunting.

With the help of dismembering coloration, a great camouflage effect is achieved in some amphibians. The body of the toad Bufo superciliaris, which lives in South Africa, is visually divided into two parts, due to which the animal completely loses its outline.

Many snakes have luxuriously dismembering colors, and among them is the Gaboon viper. The bright geometric pattern erases the contours of the snake’s body and makes it completely invisible against the backdrop of variegated vegetation and fallen leaves.

Gaboon viper

This type of coloring is also characteristic of many inhabitants of the underwater world, especially coral fish. Representatives of the bristletooth family, such as angelfish or pennant bristletooths, are the most variegated in color.

Dismembering coloration is also found in insects. Its camouflaging protective role is especially great for those species that demonstrate it while in a calm state.

Animals with bright colors are clearly visible against the surrounding background. As a rule, such animals stay open and do not hide when there is danger. They do not need to be careful or hasty, since they are most often inedible or poisonous. Their bright color is a kind of warning - do not touch! This form of defense is called warning, and is so effective that numerous non-venomous species have adopted the appearance of these inedible, conspicuous animals, and therefore predators are afraid to touch them.

Mantis

There are many animals whose body shape and coloring are similar to some object in the environment. This helps them become literally invisible in their usual habitat, because they either completely blend into the background (the so-called protective coloration), or are disguised as certain inanimate and inedible objects - for example, a twig or a thorn.

Stick insects perfectly imitate dry sticks, twigs, and leaves. Among insects, they are perhaps the most clever deceivers. Moth butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of thoracic and two pairs of abdominal legs. They move as if in “spans”: arching their body in an arc and bringing their hind legs closer to their front ones. When the caterpillar sits motionless on a branch, it stretches out at an angle to it and becomes like a short twig or twig. Stick insects are even more similar to dry branches, having a characteristic rod-shaped body and limbs. Various species of mantises, sitting motionless on trees and bushes, look exactly like twigs, leaves or flowers, so that even sharp-eyed birds detect them only with great difficulty.

Plant resemblances are especially widespread among tropical insect species. For example, the devil's mantis resembles an orchid flower, the adelungia cicada resembles tree seeds, and the orthopteran insects acridoxene and cycloptera, thanks to their greatly expanded elytra, are almost indistinguishable from leaves.

Some fish also camouflage themselves using their protective body shape. The appearance of such fish is quite unique, and their names are original: clownfish, raghorse. The clownfish lives in sargassum algae, through which it moves using its pectoral and ventral fins. Thanks to its color and bizarre shape, it is completely lost in the thickets. It bears little resemblance to fish and rag-horse. Its body is equipped with numerous spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths; they fluctuate all the time, and therefore it is almost impossible to distinguish fish from algae.

Blenny

One of the protective properties of animals is the similarity of a defenseless species with a well-protected species. This phenomenon in nature was first discovered among South American butterflies, when in flocks of heliconids, which are inedible for birds, edible white butterflies, very similar to them in color, shape, size and flight style, were noticed. This similarity is called “mimicry”.

Among insects, imitation of stinging Hymenoptera is widespread. There are, for example, glass butterflies that look like hornets. There are syrphid flies that are difficult to distinguish from wasps, bees or bumblebees. In some insects the similarity is very great, in others it is limited only by color, but in both cases it protects them from many birds.

A kind of mimicry has been discovered between three species of snakes: the harmless king snakes and poisonous coral adders equally imitate the moderately dangerous and numerous snakes of the snake family - erythrolamrus.

Nature has endowed some animals with the ability to change color when moving from one floral environment to another. This property serves as reliable protection for the animal, as it makes it unnoticeable in any environment.

Sea Horse

In addition to the flounder fish, which is well known for its rapid color change, the thalassoma fish changes its color to match its environment, which is blue in the water column, but lying on the bottom becomes yellow. Pipefish, pipits and blennies instantly become camouflaged: in the zone of red algae they become red, among green algae they become green, and in a yellow environment they become yellow.

Some lizards also change color. This is especially evident in the tree lizard chameleon. The rapid change of color from green to yellow or brown makes it almost invisible on the branches among the foliage.

The cephalopod mollusk octopus also changes color at a time of danger. This animal can also instantly camouflage itself under soil of any color, repeating the most bizarre pattern of the seabed or algae. Cuttlefish do this especially skillfully. And if the enemy gets too close, they have one more trick in stock: to envelop themselves in a cloud of so-called “ink” - a dark, opaque liquid.

Some amphibians, crustaceans, insects and even spiders masterfully control their colors.

Animal camouflage provides their amazing ability to remain undetected in the wild. The animal world is not safe; protective coloring is needed not only by the predator itself in order to get close to the prey unnoticed.

1. Find the animals in the picture

The exciting game “find the animals from the picture” will introduce you to the best masters of camouflage in the animal world. It's not as easy as it seems. After all, animals and birds do everything to avoid being found.

2. Chameleon

The camouflage of animals into their environment is amazing. The unsurpassed master in this art is the chameleon. It is capable of changing body color under different lighting, humidity and even air temperature around it! The name of lizards comes from the name of a mythical creature that could change color.

3. Stone fish

The protective coloring of animals suits their living conditions. Stonefish are one of the unusual inhabitants of the seabed. Her rough skin is covered with sharp spines. The stonefish burrows into the ground, leaving the top of its head and back on the surface. Blades of grass and pieces of algae sticking to it make it indistinguishable from the seabed.

4. Spider

The art of animal camouflage is not only available to animals. Spiders are great at hiding while waiting for prey. They are almost impossible to see on the surface of the earth. Depending on their habitat, their natural color may resemble stone, sand, tree bark or dry leaves.

5. Moth

The natural camouflage of animals is also characteristic of butterflies. A moth or moth is able to reproduce the color of a natural surface. When it lies motionless, it is difficult to distinguish it from a dry leaf or piece of moss.

6. Stick insect

Examples of animal camouflage can also be found among tropical insects. The stick insect is a large insect, but it is not easy to spot in the wild. Its appearance and color resemble a small twig.

7. Seahorse

When looking at pictures of animal camouflage, it is worth paying attention to such an inhabitant of coral reefs as the seahorse, better known as the rag-picking seahorse. Its colors repeat the shades of corals and algae among which it hides.

8. Octopus

The octopus is a true master of imitating other animals. This cephalopod has an incredibly flexible body that can take on almost any shape and color. By hiding six of its eight legs, it may resemble a sea snake.

9. Frog

Small tree frogs are secretive animals. To avoid being eaten, this frog practically merges with tree bark or dry leaves. Its natural shade is light green. But when it climbs onto the bark of a tree, it immediately changes color to brown.

Or it hides under the moss, but the likelihood of being eaten increases due to the number of predators who are not averse to feasting on them.

10. Cheetah

Animal camouflage sometimes has the most unusual purposes. The cheetah is not only the fastest runner, but also an excellent camouflage artist. Its sandy-golden color with small black spots makes it almost invisible in dense grass or bushes.

11. Giraffe

Disguise in the animal world is needed not only by the small and weak, but also by the largest. The giraffe’s “signature” spotted color helps it to be invisible in the shade of tropical trees. From a distance, this long-necked animal can easily be confused with a tall tree.

12. Frogmouth

When looking at photos of animal camouflage, it is worth paying attention to such a forest inhabitant as the smoky frogmouth. It is a nocturnal bird with protective colors. During the day, she sits motionless on tree branches or logs. The brownish-brown color allows it to “merge” with the surrounding space.

13. Irbis

The irbis, or snow leopard, is a frequent inhabitant of mountain slopes. The gray and smoky color of its fur allows it to blend in with the lichen-covered stones. Animal camouflage can also be seasonal. The summer color of the snow leopard is always lighter than the winter color.

14. Crocodile

Crocodiles are animals that are masters of camouflage. Almost the most formidable predator on Earth is capable of lying motionless for a long time, waiting for prey. The unique coloring of its lumpy skin helps it to be invisible in the water.

15. Flounder

Flat as a pancake, flounder has the ability to be completely indistinguishable on the seabed. A great example of how color protects animals is the color of the skin. Flounder swims tightly pressed to the bottom.

16. Nightjar

The giant nightjar is a bird that, at first glance, is unremarkable. The grayish-brown color of the feathers makes the rather large bird almost invisible against the background of tree bark.

17. Owl

Animal camouflage is needed not only by daytime, but also by night predators. Among them, the owl is one of the most skillful camouflages. During the day, an owl sitting on a tree is difficult to notice even from a distance of several steps.

If you meet an owl during the day and wake it up, it will start darting from side to side. Since she is a nocturnal predator, her vision is completely powerless during the day.

18. Grasshopper

The green grasshopper is often clearly audible, but it is not easy for an inattentive person to see it. Its coloration is ideal for life in grass. Interestingly, the camouflage color of grasshoppers is an imitation of other, more dangerous insects.

19. Cuttlefish

The cuttlefish is perhaps the only colorblind animal that imitates the colors of its environment. As an inhabitant of the seabed, this cephalopod is capable of imitating any color and texture of the surface.

20. Partridge

Wild partridges live and raise their chicks on the ground, among thick grass. The color of their plumage changes depending on the time of year. In winter, their feathers turn bright white. Summer coloring of gray-yellow shades gives way to reddish-brown in autumn.

21. Snake

Snakes move quickly and almost silently along the ground, hiding from possible danger. During spring molting, they change their skin, and their scales acquire the desired color.

22. Butterfly

Among butterflies there are also many masters of camouflage. The natural color of the wings of many species exactly matches the color and pattern of the leaves.

23. Caterpillar

Caterpillars always feed on leaves, so their natural color is green. This makes them completely invisible on the young leaves on which they feed.

24. Gecko

The leaf-tailed gecko often hides among the leaves. Its color resembles a dried leaf left on a branch.

They are harmless creatures, so many dangers await them. It is vital for them to learn how to camouflage themselves, otherwise a terrible misfortune awaits them.

25. Cat (Domestic)

Although a domestic cat does not need to hunt, the skill of camouflaging animals will come in handy for him too. Finding a furry pet in the house can be quite difficult. Domestic cats have the same camouflage coloring as lions, tigers and other “big cats”.