Animal Camouflage A Way of Life
Jan 01, 2016
Camouflage: Definition
French word: camoufler - to disguise Relatively new word Blending in with the environment Avoid being seen from other organisms.
Natural Camouflage
Animals that match their environment naturally
Ex: Polar bear in their snowy habitat
Con: If placed in different environment, they would be visible (polar bear in woods)
Changing Colors
Change color to match season Ex: Snowshoe hare is brown in spring Ex: Snowshoe hare turns white in summer
Changing Colors
Some animals can change colors quickly
Due to background, temperature, or lighting changes
Ex: Anole Lizard can change color within 2 minutes
Changing Colors and Textures
Texture can reflect animals’ backgrounds.
Ex: Flounder can match sand and gravel
Shape Camouflage
Animal’s shapes imitate their habitat.
Usually resemble some type of vegetation
Ex: Walking Stick Ex: Leaf Bug
Defense Camouflage
Used to deceive, alarm, or distract predators
Ex: Hickory Horn Devil Caterpillar uses it’s head spines
Ex: Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar uses eyespots to look like dragon
Mimicry Camouflage
Copycatting appearances of harmful animals to ward away enemies.
Ex: Non-venomous snakes look similar to poisonous Coral Snakes.
Distracting Camouflage
Certain part of an animal’s body draws attention from another part
Ex: Lizards have distracting tails because they will grow back if cut off
Chart
How many animals were green, white, brown, or other colored?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Number
Green
White
Brown
Other
Resources
Animal Colors and Shapes. Discovery Channel School(2005). Retrieved October 4, 2006, fromunitedstreaming: http://www.unitedstreaming.com/
Camouflage. Wikipedia (2006). Retrieved October 9, 2006, from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camouflage
Resources
Texas junior nationalists: camouflage. Texas Wildlife and Parks (2005). Retrieved October 9, 2006 from http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/junior_naturalists/camo.phtml
Question 1
Which colors appear the most in nature?
A. Black, Brown, Red
B. Blue, Green, Brown
C. Green, Blue, Gray
D. Orange, Pink, Red
Question 2
The best color for camouflage depends on the animal’s _______.
A. Fashion sense
B. Size
C. Environment
D. temperature
Question 3
If a jackrabbit was in the sandy dessert, which color would be the best camouflage?
A. Yellow
B. Brown
C. Black
D. White
Question 5
Which is NOT a reason for camouflage?
A. To blend in with the environment
B. To ward away predators
C. To distract other animals
D. To attract attention