Being able to camouflage is an important skill many animals have adapted over time. You’re probably familiar with some animals that can change color or blend in with their surroundings, but perhaps you’d like to learn about more. If so, keep reading. In this article, we’ll talk about our top 10 list of animals that camouflage.
What You'll Learn Today
1. Chameleon
There are various chameleon species, and all of them have the ability to camouflage. Most species live in Madagascar, but they are also found in parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Chameleons can turn a variety of bright colors, but they only do so when excited or threatened. Under normal circumstances, their skin is usually a pale shade of brown, tan, or green, helping them blend in with their environment.
Chameleons can change color by dispersing melanin throughout their skin or by using special crystals to reflect specific colors of light. Learn more about these fascinating abilities of chameleons in the video below:
2. Arctic Fox
Arctic foxes are found in various polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and their thick fur coats keep them warm in temperatures as cold as -58 degrees Fahrenheit. These same winter coats also help them camouflage.
During the long winter months, arctic foxes have thick, white fur that makes it hard for predators to see them against the snow. During the summer, they shed the white coat and grow brown and tan fur, which helps them camouflage with rocks, ground, and vegetation.
Arctic foxes have many predators, including polar bears, wolves, and eagles. Their ability to blend in with both snow in the winter and bare earth in the summer helps keep them safe from predators.
3. Leopard
Leopards are found in many regions of Africa and Asia. There are five species, and all of them have the ability to camouflage.
Some leopards have black-spotted yellow coats, others are dark, and still others are pale gray or white with darker spots. These colors and patterns help them camouflage in many different environments ranging from sunny grasslands to shadowy areas to cold, snowy, or rocky regions.
Leopards are predators, so they don’t use their camouflage ability to protect themselves. Instead, they use it to stay out of sight when stalking prey.
4. Mossy Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Mossy leaf-tailed geckos are found only in Madagascar. These unique-looking lizards are specially adapted to blend in with the trees they call home.
Mossy leaf-tailed geckos have mottled green-and-brown skin that makes them look like they’re made of bark and moss. They can change their colors and patterns to blend in with different environments, and they have extra skin flaps that drape over their bodies and conceal the shadows they cast.
These creatures spend their days pressed against tree trunks and branches, which makes them almost invisible. They hunt at night, using the darkness to compliment their natural camouflage abilities and remain out of sight.
5. Snake
There are more than 4,000 species of snake found throughout the world on every continent except Antarctica. Many of these species have excellent camouflage skills.
Gaboon vipers have mottled, gray-brown scales that help them blend in with dead leaves layered on African rainforest floors. Madagascar leaf-nosed snakes camouflage with leaves and vines hanging in trees and can mimic the movement of vines swaying in the breeze to further blend in.
Other snakes known for their camouflage abilities include Daudin’s vine snake and the desert horned viper. Snakes typically camouflage to keep themselves hidden while hunting for prey.
6. Pygmy Seahorse
There are several species of pygmy seahorses commonly found in southeast Asia and the Coral Triangle region. Their excellent camouflage ability makes them almost invisible.
These sea creatures live in coral reefs, especially among the Muricella species. Their colors match their coral environments perfectly, and the protuberances on their bodies, called tubercles, further enhance the camouflage effect.
These tiny seahorses are less than an inch long, making them even harder to spot. They were only discovered after a marine biologist collected a host coral for study.
7. Flounder
Flounders are flatfish found in various oceans throughout the world. They are known for their ability to blend in with the ocean floor.
Flounders can change color, have exceptionally flat bodies, and both of their eyes are on one side. This enables them to flatten against the ocean floor and change color to match it.
In addition to their color-changing abilities, flounders will also partially bury themselves in sand and sediment so only their eyes are visible. This not only protects them from predators but helps keep them hidden from unsuspecting prey.
8. Owl
Owls are found throughout the world, and there are many different species. Not all of them are known for camouflage, but some have excellent blending-in skills.
Eastern screech owls have mottled tan, gray, and white feathers that resemble tree bark and make them almost invisible when hiding in cavities of trees. Great horned owls also have brown, mottled feathers that make them masters of disguise.
Though not technically owls, tawny frogmouths look similar and use similar camouflage techniques. They are found in Australia.
9. Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are sometimes called chameleons of the sea. They have a variety of amazing abilities that help them blend into their surroundings.
Cuttlefish have hundreds of color-changing cells in their skin along with cells that reflect light. They use these cells to rapidly shift their colors and patterns to become nearly invisible in a variety of environments.
What’s more, cuttlefish have muscles that allow them to change their skin texture from smooth to rough. This helps them further camouflage themselves to rocks and other hard surfaces in the ocean.
10. Stick Insect
Stick insects are known by many names including stick bug, walking stick, and devil’s darning needle. There are thousands of distinct species found throughout the world.
As the names suggest, these insects look like sticks. They vary in size from one to 12 inches and, when threatened, often hold perfectly still or sway back and forth to mimic a branch blowing in the wind.
While they use this camouflage ability to avoid predators, they have additional defenses if it doesn’t work. Some species can spray a mild acid that causes burning, itching, and even temporary blindness if it gets in a predator’s eyes.
Conclusion
Animals throughout the world are known for their camouflage abilities. Some of the most skilled camouflaging creatures include chameleons, cuttlefish, flounders, pygmy seahorses, and arctic foxes.
