Survival can become a challenging task in the wild – especially if you’re smaller or slower than your possible predators. This is why many animal species have developed different ways to camouflage themselves throughout the course of evolution. Ways to camouflage differ depending mostly on three factors: the physiology and behavior of the animal, then those of the predator and the environment, in which the animal lives and hunts its food. Blending in with the environment is the most common approach.
Natural selection plays its part here as well: as the way in which an animal camouflages itself is determined genetically, every new generation adapts to its surroundings better. What usually happens is than an animal imitates the coloration of its natural habitat, although some species are known to be able to adjust their coloration. The most common example is a chameleon, although some furry animals and birds may loose their feathers and fur completely and replace it with a new one for a new season.
Surprisingly, sometimes the best way to camouflage oneself is to stick with the herd: for example, when a lion walk by a bunch of zebras, it only sees a big striped mass. Some fish that are covered in bright vertical stripes might also be clearly visible when alone, but if a large group of them swims by, a predator will see an unidentified colored blob. Without further ado, here are 20 amazing examples of animal camouflage. Can you find all the animals?
1. Owl
Image credits: eoiarucasadvancedone.blogspot
2. Uroplatus Geckos
Image credits: imgur | Jialiang Gao
3. Willow Ptarmigan
Image credits: Art Wolfe
4. Toads
Image credits: photography.nationalgeographic.com
5. Common Baron Caterpillar
Image credits: wohinauswandern
6. Seahorse
Image credits: imgur
7. Spider
Image credits: Piet Grobler
8. Adelpha Serpa Selerio Caterpillar
Image credits: Arthur Anker
9. Stick Insect
Image credits: phasmatodea.cz
10. Frog
Image credits: earthwatch2.org
11. Owl
Image credits: Art Wolfe
12. Tropidoderus Childrenii
Image credits: petrichor
13. Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Image credits: dailymail
14. Stone Flounder
Image credits: domhyde.wordpress.com
15. Great Potoo
Image credits: dailymail
16. Snow Leopard
Image credits: raghu chundawat
17. Katydid
Image credits: dailymail
18. Owl
Image credits: P A B S
19. Giraffe
Image credits: Art Wolfe
20. Hedgehog
Image credits: good-wallpapers.com