Masters of camouflage in the animal world. Masters of Camouflage: The Leaf-Blending Gecko and Other Natural Camouflage Experts

Animals, in order to survive or catch prey, acquired the ability to camouflage. Below we will look at 27 amazing creatures from whom you need to take lessons in transformation.

To survive

The Satanic leaf-tailed gecko camouflages itself with branches and leaves and looks very much like a fallen, dry leaf.

The giraffe's spotted color helps it hide in the shade of trees.

The American pika inhabits the mountainous regions of Canada. The coloring of this animal helps it remain unnoticed among stones and rocks.

Euthalia aconthea - the caterpillar of the common baron butterfly lives in Malaysia. Hides on a leaf of a mango or walnut tree.

For the sake of production

The great gray owl is ideally camouflaged due to its coloring.

The Asian sharp-headed snake hides behind a thin stem of foliage to catch its prey.

Leopard sits in ambush in the undergrowth in national park Kruger in South Africa.

Due to its color, the blue crowned parrot almost merges with the green tropical forest Belize.

The wolf peeks out from its ambush, noticing its prey. State of Montana.

The color and shape of the Brimstone butterfly's wings allow it to remain completely unnoticed among the green leaves while resting or consuming food.

The moth has a striking “camouflage” that helps it hide among trees and branches.

A common snipe lurks among riparian vegetation in Minnesota.

A great horned owl hides among the fall foliage in national reserve, Oregon.

The wolf spider lives on every continent on the planet. He blends in with his surroundings and lures his prey.

The gigantic forest nightjar hunts at night and sits in the trees during the day.

The horned viper has a skin color similar to the sand of the Namib Desert where it lives. She disappears completely, burying herself in the sand.

Representatives of the family Japanese macaques Thanks to their coloring, they can easily hide among the rocks on the island of Honshu, Japan.

Two antelopes hide among the rocks in Botswana.

Ptarmigan during winter foraging in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.

Lichen spider fits perfectly into a tree trunk, Thailand.

The Sika Deer, also known as Chital, is a great hider in the forests of India.

A nightjar camouflages among the rocks in eastern Washington state.

Pygmy Seahorse is an expert in camouflage. He hides among sea corals so that he is not discovered by predators.

The snow leopard is not easy to spot among the rocks in the Himalayas.

Perfect disguise

Atlantic flounder can easily move along the ocean floor without being noticed.

Mossy flat-tailed geckos of Madagascar use their camouflage coloration to hide in tree bark during the daytime.

The mimic octopus can camouflage itself near algae and other mundane animals to hide from predators.

The world is truly dangerous place for every creature. Kill or be killed is the natural order of things and survival is the primary goal. However, some of the animals seem to adhere to simple rule that if they are invisible, they are much more likely to live longer. Camouflage is vitally important and some take the art of camouflage to heights that humans have never dreamed of. Common Baron butterfly caterpillar (Common Baron Caterpillar) These caterpillars are wizards of camouflage. They live in India and Southeast Asia. When they grow up they look like this... Smoky Frogmouth group (Tawny Frogmouth group) These Australian owls are nocturnal and popular among farmers for their diet, which consists almost exclusively of rodent pests.
Bush crickets Katydids, also known as bush crickets, long-horned grasshoppers or Tettigoniidae, have about 6,400 individual species, many of which are true masters of camouflage. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, although they are more common in tropical regions.
These guys are a terrifying mixture of the impossible and deadly poison. They are the most poisonous fish in the sea, and a needle from one of their spines can kill a person in two hours. These hidden neurotoxins are members of the Synaceia family and are widely distributed in warm waters. It is recommended to swim rather than walk on rocks in areas where rockfish live. The harder you step on them, the more toxin they release into you, so if you walk, walk lightly.
There are at least 7 various types dwarf seahorse, all live in corals and hide well among them. They range from Asia all the way to Australasia, although you probably won't find them as they are aces in camouflage and most never reach more than 2cm in length.
The moss leaf-tailed gecko Uroplatus sikorae is a Madagascar species of gecko that not only lurks in its surroundings, but can also change its skin tone to match the surrounding landscape. Thanks to deforestation, the mossy leaf-tailed gecko is now classified as critically endangered.
No list of animals that are masters at camouflage would be complete without the most famous of them all: the chameleon. Chameleons change their color as a way of communicating with friends, as well as great way not to be eaten. Recent research shows that chameleons are even more adept at hiding than previously thought. They finely tune their color to match the predator's visual system. Researchers have found that chameleons match the color of their surroundings more accurately when hiding from a bird than when hiding from a snake because birds have better color perception than reptiles.
Cuttlefish are very strange. They are true masters when it comes to the ability to change colors. Each square millimeter of their skin retains up to 200 color chromatophores. Their ability to change color is fast and precise. They have W-shaped pupils, eight arms, two tentacles with toothy suckers on them, and one of the largest brain-to-body ratios in the invertebrate world.
The octopus is a tasty treat for many ocean predators, but it camouflages itself not only to hide from those who would hunt it, but also from those it hunts. The ability of these creatures to change color to suit their surroundings is truly remarkable. Octopuses change color to match their environment and can also change the texture of their skin to appear bumpy like the rocks they hide among.
Flounder are slow-moving and especially vulnerable to attack, so these fish must also blend into the ocean floor where they spend most of their lives. These fish have mottled skin, which helps them blend in with their surroundings when they burrow into the sand.

Incredible facts

Disguise is ancient art, which appeared not much later than vision itself, and many species of animals on our planet depend on it for survival.

Whether it's a gecko blending into the bark or a jaguar disappearing into the foliage, good camouflage can make a big difference in who becomes the meal and who the eater.

Here are the most famous animals that have the ability to skillfully camouflage themselves.

Common baron caterpillar

If a hungry bird in western Malaysia goes in search of food, it will have to look for a long time to find a common baron caterpillar or a nymphalid butterfly (Euthalia aconthea). Many butterfly caterpillars have the ability to blend into native plants, but few can dissolve in greenery, since the caterpillar is a baron.

The baron caterpillar has evolved this advanced shape and color for one purpose: to hide from predators. This increases their chances of becoming a common baron butterfly and of continuing to reproduce their genus.

Originally from India and southeast asia, the baron caterpillar often feeds on mango leaves. This can spoil their relationship with mango farmers, which is another reason for camouflage.

Pygmy seahorse

Coral reefs are harsh places to live, and their inhabitants often use camouflage to survive. When it comes to living incognito among corals, pygmy seahorses know how to do it.

Less than 2.5 cm long and dotted with coral-like tubercles, it lives on two species of gorgonian corals in Pacific Ocean, having the appropriate color. It merges so skillfully that it was discovered by people only after it appeared among the caught corals in an aquarium. Their conservation status unknown due to lack of data.

Mossy leaf-tailed gecko

This lizard appears to be covered in moss, but it is actually the skin of the leaf-tailed gecko, a master of camouflage found only in the forests of Madagascar.

Since they live in trees, they have formed leather the color of moss and bark along with skin flaps over the entire surface of the body. But they also have another secret. Just like chameleons, they can change their skin color to match their background. Despite its ability to hide, the species is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and hunting for the international pet trade.

Jaguar

Like many felids, jaguars have evolved blurry spotted patterns that blend into different backgrounds, including those far from them. natural environment habitat.

The jaguar is the only big cat native to the Americas, unlike the other three members of the panther genus: lions, tigers and leopards. And while the jaguar's spots help it hide from some zoo visitors, it hasn't generally helped them avoid people. Once widespread in Northern and South America, now jaguars are found only in South America, and perhaps in a few ranches in Central America.

Gigantic whitefoot

Known for its gaping beak and large yellow eyes, the gigantic whitefoot has ability to blend into wood. When he suspects danger, he simply closes his eyes, tilts his head back and merges with the bark.

Despite the fact that they are classified as owls, giant white-legged birds are completely different birds. They are poor fliers and do not use their claws to catch prey. In fact, they don't even fly to hunt. Instead, they sit eerily quietly in the trees, waiting for the prey to fly up to them.

Like owls, they are nocturnal birds, but feed more insects, catching them with his mouth. They make a nasal bubbling call that can be heard quiet evenings in their homelands of Australia and Tasmania.

Stone fish

If you have ever gone scuba diving in the Indian or Pacific Ocean, pay attention to coral reefs who are looking at you. Perhaps you are looking directly at the stone fish, the most poisonous fish on Earth.

Stonefish live in shallow coastal waters from Egypt to Australia. They merge with various reefs and rocks, hiding on the seabed, waiting for prey in ambush. As protection, they use 13 sharp dorsal fins, filled with a neurotoxin that can kill a person in 2 hours. To avoid accidentally stepping on a stone-fish, experts recommend swimming in the ocean rather than walking.

Grasshopper

Their leaf-like body helps them avoid countless birds, frogs, snakes and other predators.

Grasshoppers are generally easier to hear than to see. When the wings rub, they produce a characteristic chirping sound. Unlike crickets, both female and male grasshoppers are equal in their singing. Some of them hunt small insects, but their favorite food remains leaves, which is obvious from their appearance. And just like with caterpillars, their love of eating leaves can ruin their relationships with farmers and gardeners.

Sea flounder

As a species of flat fish, flounder is ideal for life on the seabed. Flounders huddle on the bottom, using their spotted skin to blend in. This keeps it safe from predators and allows it to ambush prey such as shrimp, worms and fish larvae.

The flounder itself grows from a larva, but undergoes significant changes as it matures. One of the flounder's eyes shifts to the other side, allowing it to swim flat while its eyes point upward. Despite the ability to camouflage, many flounder are at risk from overfishing.

Egyptian nightjar

Nightjars are small nocturnal birds that are found throughout the world. These birds are called nightjars because of the myth that they steal milk from goats. And while they do often hang around goats, they do so to eat the insects they attract. Most nightjars nest on the ground, and many have developed feathers whose colors match the background.

Egyptian nightjars are one of several birds that breed in deserts, where they yellowish-gray feathers are in perfect harmony with arid soil. Although their species is declining, they are not endangered due to their diversity, including representatives that live in North Africa, in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

stick insect

While many animals require a special background for camouflage, some are so well camouflaged that they remain incognito almost everywhere. Stick insects are good example this, having twig-like body, making them virtually invisible if they freeze.

There is a huge variety of stick insects in the world, and their size can range from 1.3 cm to 60 cm in length. They are typically brown or green in color and can freeze when threatened, sometimes swaying to imitate a branch swaying in the wind. This doesn't mean they can't be assertive. For example, the American stick insect can squirt a weak acid from glands located in the chest to protect itself from possible predators. If it suddenly gets into your eyes, it can cause a burning sensation and even temporary blindness.

Arctic fox

The ghostly, almost blue outfit of the Arctic fox is ideal for the tundra. The Arctic fox not only literally dissolves in the snow and withstands very low temperature, but also changes its colors for the summer, which allows it to hide among rocks and plants.

Arctic foxes hunt mainly birds, rodents and fish, but even their fur does not always help them find food harsh winter. When they have no choice, arctic foxes follow on the heels of polar bears, eating what is left. Sometimes they feed on tundra vegetables.

Chameleon

Few animals are as renowned for their ability to camouflage as the chameleon, whose color-changing abilities make them icons of adaptation. However, scientists believe that this is not the reason why their abilities developed, believing that they change colors to communicate.

Some shades signal mood, such as aggression or the desire to mate. While this color body language is the answer to why they developed changing skin, many see it as having great value as camouflage. Some chameleons target specific predators. For example, a species native to South America blends in with the ground to avoid birds, but also with the sky to avoid snakes. The secret is chromatophores, a type of pigment cells found under the transparent outer layer of chameleon skin.

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish have taken the art of camouflage to new heights. Not only can they change colors to blend into the background, but their psychedelic skin puts even chameleons to shame. Each square millimeter contains about 200 color-changing chromatophores located on other cells that reflect light. They also have tiny muscles that mimic the structure of rocks and reefs.

Cuttlefish are not really fish. They belong to the cephalopods, a family of aquatic mollusks that also includes octopuses and squids. They can not only change color, but also glow.

Mimicry is the ability of living beings to change certain properties of their organisms in order to merge with environment or achieve similarities with representatives of other species. This skill is necessary for some animals for self-defense and survival.

How does a person learn about mimicry within the framework of a serious scientific phenomenon? school course biology for 9th grade. This topic is actively worked on by writing essays, completing practical assignments, creating projects, and questions about camouflage are even included in the Unified State Exam task bank in biology. That is why it is so important to remember once and for all what masters of mimicry there are among animals, and why evolution gave them such an unusual adaptive mechanism.

Chameleon

One of the most famous masters of camouflage in the animal kingdom is the chameleon (“earth lion” or “lion on the ground” translated from ancient Greek). Today, science knows such representatives of this family as brookesias, true chameleons, Madagascar mountain chameleons, African dwarf chameleons and some others.

Despite their different names, they are similar both in behavior and in the structure of their bodies. The body of a chameleon is usually up to 30 cm in length, only in rare cases reaching 50-60 cm. On the head, which is shaped like a helmet, there are bumps and convex ridges. In males they are complemented by elongated, pointed horns, while in females these formations are practically undeveloped and unnoticeable.

Chameleons are excellent at moving from branch to branch. In this they are helped by long legs with toes fused together in the shape of “claws” and tails gradually tapering towards the end, which are capable of twisting and curling around various objects and thereby providing their owners with maximum stability.

The structure of the visual organs of these reptiles is interesting - their pupils can move uncoordinated, which allows the lizards to closely monitor their surroundings while hunting. As soon as the chameleon is about to attack, both of its eyes instantly focus on the victim, and its tongue with a hunting suction cup is sharply thrown out in the desired direction. The action takes only 0.5 seconds! Reptiles eat butterflies, grasshoppers, flies, beetles and crickets.

This animal camouflages itself very well and quickly thanks to the unique structure of its skin, which contains special cells - chromatophores. They are the ones who give the chameleon this or that shade, and also influence the pattern of its body. In total, the skin of a reptile contains 4 main pigments (black, reddish, brown and yellow), which can be combined to form different options and proportions, thereby making the lizard sometimes purple, sometimes green, sometimes whitish-orange...

Previously, it was believed that these animals disguise themselves as their natural environment due to external and internal stimuli (changes in temperature, light, humidity, the need to scare away the enemy, lack of food, water, etc.). However, recent research has established that, in fact, with the help of mimicry, chameleons communicate with their relatives. This especially applies to finding a partner during the mating season.

Another animal that is a true master of camouflage is the leaf-tailed gecko. This lizard received its frightening alternative name because of its large red eyes, which, like all geckos, do not have eyelids - only a stationary transparent shell. Reptiles use their tongue to clean and moisten their eyes.

Interesting fact! Another name for the Geckonidae family is Cepcopalae. This is due to the fact that the gecko’s paws contain many microscopic villi, which provide the lizard with strong adhesion to any surface, even glass. Despite the fact that the reptile itself weighs only about 50 g, it is capable of holding weight up to 2 kg.

Leaf-tailed geckos are found in the tropical forests of Madagascar. These are one of the smallest members of the family. Even an adult specimen cannot boast of impressive size, because... grows to only 9-15 cm. Most of the length of the body falls on a flat, wide tail, reminiscent of a withered leaf with irregularities, bumps and notches along the edges.

The camouflage of this animal is complemented by appropriate coloring, which can be gray-brown, green, yellow or dark brown. Complete mimicry of natural landscape provides the gecko unusual drawing on the back, which seems to repeat the pattern of the leaves with their veins and small spots. This lizard is unable to change its appearance depending on conditions, and therefore is initially born with a set of characteristics that will save her throughout her life.

This is interesting! The camouflage of the Madagascar leaf-tailed gecko is an example of mimicry of both shape and color, because its entire body appears to be made of old dried leaves.

The animal is active only at night, because his visual organs are adapted specifically to darkness. In the impenetrable twilight, the satanic gecko sees better than man as much as 350 times! It settles exclusively in dark places with sufficient humidity, for example, on low bushes or in fallen leaves.

This predatory representative of the genus African vipers of the Viper family has also developed a camouflage mechanism. The African pygmy viper, found in the deserts of Namibia and Angola, has a small average length– from 20 to 25 cm. Noticing this animal on the sand is an almost impossible task, because it has a gray-yellowish or reddish-yellow color, due to which it completely blends with the surrounding landscape. Even 3 rows of longitudinal dark spots and the black tip of the tail do not give away the snake, but, on the contrary, only create an additional imitation of sand particles and small stones.

Why anyway? poisonous snake did you need another adaptive mechanism in the form of camouflage color? The whole point is that the amount of poison injected into an animal during a bite turns out to be relatively small. For example, lizards or geckos, which constitute the main diet of this viper, die only 15-20 minutes after it sinks its fangs into them.

For larger creatures, incl. and for people, such bites are fraught with local pain or swelling, but not fatal. It becomes obvious that poison alone would not be enough for the African pygmy viper to protect itself from potential enemies. It is the dusty sand color (color mimicry) that allows this snake to quickly retreat and instantly disappear from the enemy’s field of vision.

Next comes another dwarf animal, but this time representing the genus Seahorses of the Spinefish family. The pygmy seahorse inhabits coastal waters western Atlantic, and also occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and near the southeastern United States. This peace-loving creature chooses dense thickets to live seaweed or clumps of floating vegetation near coral.

The description of the appearance of the seahorse partially reveals the essence of its mimicry: it has a beige, yellow, green or black color with light or dark inclusions and a small elongated body with tubercles, reaching only 2-2.5 cm in length. It is the small size and camouflage color that saves this bony fish in wildlife, even despite the fact that coral reefs are favored by a variety of animals - incl. and large predators.

Interesting fact! Developed dorsal and pectoral fins allow dwarfs seahorses always remain upright. This also applies to the absorption of food, which sometimes drags on for 10 hours. They eat small crustaceans and plankton.

North American hawk moth caterpillar

Caterpillars form the initial link of many food chains, so the question of why these animals need camouflage disappears by itself - without this mechanism they would be completely defenseless and turn into easy prey for other creatures.

However, the mimicry of the North American hawk moth caterpillar amazed even scientists - it turned out that the insect is capable of imitating the voices of other living organisms! The larva forcefully releases air from special holes located on its body. The sharp action creates a loud whistle that imitates a scream. insectivorous birds. Birds emit this signal when a threat approaches.

The bird, which a couple of seconds ago wanted to eat a large and fat insect, rushes away because it receives an alarming warning - “danger is nearby.” However, in fact, it is the caterpillar of the North American hawk moth that deceives its enemies in this way, which remains alive and unharmed as a result of a cunning trick.

Irbis

Master of camouflage among predators terrestrial mammals is the snow leopard, or snow leopard/leopard. This " big cat» found in mountainous and snowy areas Central Asia. The snow leopard has a flexible, muscular, long and squat body, which reaches up to 55 kg in weight and up to 200-230 cm in length including the tail.

The main adaptive property of the snow leopard is its color. The predominant shade of the coat is smoky brown with a pattern of dark spots different sizes. This appearance hides perfectly snow leopard in its natural habitats: among stones, rocks, ice and white-gray snow.

Camouflage is necessary for snow leopards for several reasons. Firstly, it helps you hunt better. Because The main diet of snow leopards consists of fast ungulates; predators need to be able to keep watch and wait for future victims, hiding among the rocks near trails and watering holes.

Secondly, mimicry is required by cautious and fearful snow leopards, who live mainly alone, to protect themselves from enemies - their closest relatives and humans. Today, the population of these mammals is in danger of extinction - there are only 4,000 to 7,000 individuals in the world. Hunting for snow leopards is currently strictly prohibited

In addition to the chameleon, there is at least one more amazing master of camouflage among animals, capable of changing the color of its body - we're talking about about the octopus. This bottom-dwelling creature belongs to the class Cephalopods of the Mollusc type. The octopus is distributed in all seas of the tropics and subtropics, and is found both at the very surface of the water and at a depth of up to 150 m.

The octopus camouflages itself into the surrounding landscape with the help of its elastic, flexible and mobile body. It is capable of taking on a wide variety of forms, merging with algae, stones, rocks and ordinary sandy soil. In addition, the skin of an octopus contains special cells filled with pigments. In a calm state, the mollusk is colored brown. However, to the central nervous system The octopus may receive a stimulus impulse, and then the animal will change its color depending on the situation. For example, if an octopus gets angry, it will turn red, if it is very frightened, it will turn white, and if it needs to quickly hide, it will adapt to the general palette of the surrounding background.

Why do animals need camouflage?