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One of the most surprising facts about animals is that many of them use camouflage to hide from predators or even potential prey. A well-camouflaged animal simply blends in with its surroundings, be it the ocean floor, forest floor, leaves or tree bark. Sometimes the animal’s disguise is so complete that it seems that the animal is disappearing! Here are 10 examples of animal disguises that make an animal virtually invisible.
# 10 Animals in camouflage: a cane, has this twig been there before?
As the name suggests, these insects of the order Phasmatodea resemble twigs or sticks, and some species found in the tropics resemble leaves. They are found everywhere on earth, except Patagonia and Antarctica. When they stop moving, as when they sense a predator nearby, they are nearly impossible to see. There are over 300 species of cane insects, ranging in length from 0.5 “to 12”.
Most sticks are brownish, gray, or green in color with a striped head. At night, they feed on the leaves of shrubs and trees that give them shelter, and can sometimes become pests, especially on oak trees. By the way, if the imitation of a branch does not scare off a predator or even a collector, the cane can spray aggressive liquid. Other canes protect themselves with spikes sharp enough to inflict injury.
The cane’s conservation status is close to being threatened, mainly due to habitat loss. Find out more about the cane here.
# 9 Camouflaged Animals: Chameleon, Master of Animal Disguises
The name of this lizard is almost synonymous with animal disguise, as its ability to change the color and pattern of its skin is virtually unmatched. These are lizards with a warm climate that live in parts of the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Southern Europe, Madagascar, almost all of Africa, as well as parts of India and Sri Lanka. There are now populations in Hawaii, Florida and California. They thrive in both rainforests and deserts.
The chameleon not only changes color to escape from predators, but also to hide from prey, as it is itself an effective predator. They have turret-like eyes that can move independently of each other, but when they focus on prey, they work together to give the lizard a three-dimensional vision. Some species of these lizards are so good at camouflaging animals that they change color in accordance with the vision of their IR predator. For example, many birds of prey can sense ultraviolet light, and the chameleon adjusts its colors accordingly.
The chameleon’s conservation status is close to being threatened. Find out more about chameleons here.
# 8 Camouflaged Animals: Scorpion Fish, Watch Out!
Scorpio is not only a master of animal disguise, but also one of the most poisonous fish in the world. A huge family of 100 to 200 species, they are found throughout the world in warm waters, but are most common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Scorpions are 8 to 12 inches long and weigh just over 3 pounds.
Scorpions get their name from the dangerous stinging spines on their body, especially in the dorsal fin. The thorns are covered with poisonous mucus and protect animals from predators, but their coloration helps hide fish from potential prey. These include shrimp and crabs. Stonefish are especially adept at this, as, as the name suggests, it resembles a stone lying on the bottom of the sea. Since many scorpions live in shallow waters, this makes them dangerous for scuba divers and snorkelers. Despite this, people catch scorpion fish because its meat is delicious.
At present, nothing is known about the safety of the scorpion. Learn more about scorpion fish here.
# 7 Animals in Disguise: Nightjar, Too Well Disguised?
Nightjar is a medium-sized bird, active at night or at dusk. They have tiny beaks, large mouths and long wings, and are found everywhere except New Zealand and parts of Oceania. Since they have their nests on the ground, their plumage is brown, tan, gray and black, which allows them to blend into the forest floor. Not only that, but during the day these birds tend to lie on the branches of trees, and not sit on them like other birds. It also helps to hide them.
Nightjars are 10 to 12 inches long, weigh about 0.18 pounds, and live 4 years on average. Despite their ability to disguise animals, some species of nightjars are on the verge of extinction. This may be due to the fact that these birds rest on the roads and are hit by cars.
# 6 Camouflaged animals: spider crab, beautiful and deadly
The crab spider gets its name because it holds its front legs and prowls just like a tiny crab. There are over 2000 species of Thomisidae crab spider and they are found all over the world. They are also called flower spiders because they sometimes sit on a flower and wait for prey, such as a butterfly or other pollinator, to appear. They then set up an ambush. They range in size from 0.16 “to 0.3”.
Some species of crab spider can change their color to match the color of the flower on which they sit. Moreover, the spider sometimes changes the color of its prey. Other crab spiders mimic tree bark or bird droppings. In some species of crab spiders, females are many times larger than males. Their conservation status has not disappeared.
# 5 Camouflaged Animals: A Giraffe Surprisingly Hard to See
The giraffe is proof that animal camouflage isn’t just for small anima
ls
. The giraffe, found in several locations in Africa, is considered the tallest animal on Earth. It can grow from 17 to nearly 19 feet in height, mainly due to its long neck, and males are larger and taller than females. The animal also has a grippy tongue and upper lip that are good for picking leaves from trees.
Besides the long neck, the giraffe is known for beautiful spots and blemishes on the skin. These patches are shades of brown, orange or black and are separated by cream or white coats and serve as a very good form of camouflage. Despite its size, the giraffe, which stands absolutely still in the shade of the trees, is very difficult to see. This may be more important for giraffe calves than for adults that are large and strong enough to protect themselves from predators such as lions.
Giraffe Conservation Status – Vulnerable. Find out more about the giraffe here.
# 4 Animals in camouflage: leopard, won’t see it until it’s too late
Not all large animals that know how to disguise use it to hide from predators. The leopard’s only real enemy is its lion cousin, and if there are no lions on its territory, this big cat is the supreme predator. It is found not only in Africa, but also in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, and even East Asia. It is a large but lithe cat with a coat known to be studded with rosettes. These rosettes allow the leopard to hide in the trees and wait for prey unnoticed.
Male leopards are larger and heavier than females. They are 23.5 to 27.5 inches at the shoulder, and females are a couple of inches shorter. Males weigh 82 to 198 pounds and females 62 to 132 pounds.
The conservation status of the leopard depends on where it lives. The Javanese leopard is considered endangered and some subspecies have been exterminated from their original habitat. In general, the leopard is considered vulnerable. Find out more about this beautiful important cat here.
# 3 Camouflaged Animals: The Arctic Hare seems to be made of snow itself
This hare is known both for its Arctic habitat and for its pure white fur. This camouflage of the animal allows it to almost disappear into the snowy landscape where it lives.
It is a large hare, it can be 17 to 28 inches long excluding the length of its tail, and it can weigh 6 to 12 pounds. In the more southern part of its range, its fur turns gray or brown in summer and turns snow-white in winter. But in the far north, the hare’s fur remains white all year round. Its conservation status is of least concern. Find out more about the arctic hare here.
# 2 Animals in camouflage: arctic fox, cunning camouflage
If there must be a polar hare, then there must also be a polar fox that hunts it. In this case, the white fur of the animal disguises it from both prey and predators. The Arctic fox, which is smaller than most other foxes, is eaten by the larger red fox, grizzly bears, wolverines, larger birds of prey and wolves.
In fact, there are two morphs of arctic foxes. One has blue coat, while the other has white, and the white-haired arctic fox, like the arctic hare, is gray-brown in summer. Almost all Arctic foxes are of the white morph type.
The preservation of the arctic fox’s status is of least concern. Find out more about the Arctic fox here.
# 1 Animals in camouflage: long-eared owl, does not see Or Hear it coming
Like almost all other types of owls, the long-eared owl comes in brown, black, gray and tan colors to better allow it to melt into the forest where it lives. Even during the day it is difficult to see him, as he rests against the crotch of a tree. Native to North America, Eurasia, Europe and Asia, this bird enhances its animal camouflage with an almost silent flap of its wings. As a result, the victim does not see or hear the approaching bird.
The long-eared owl is similar to the great horned owl with its tufts of ears, but it is smaller and thinner. This does not mean that this is a small bird. An owl can be 12 to 16 inches long and have a wingspan of about 3 feet. Its conservation status is of least concern, although there are areas where its population is declining. Find out more about the long-eared owl here.
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