Animal Camouflage

A Way of Life

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

Squids, Octopuses, and Cuttlefish have 30-50 different colors!

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

Camouflage: Video

Watch the video and learn about other animals that use this defense mechanism

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 4

Which is NOT a type of camouflage?

A. Color

B. Shape

C. Distraction

D. Smell

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

Correct!Correct!

Try Again!Try Again!