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Why do animals use camouflage?

Have you ever worn a disguise? Have you pretended to be someone else or something?

Animals do this too. We call this camouflage.

A camouflage animal uses different ways to hide their identity or appearance from other animals.

They can change their colour, change their shape, or disguise themselves by pretending to be something else.

Animals use camouflage for several important reasons. Camouflage means animals have a better chance of survival.

Predators are less likely to find a hidden animal meaning the prey will avoid being eaten.

Some animals also camouflage themselves to help them communicate safely with other animals.

Disguise

One way animals camouflage themselves is through a disguise. An animal that uses a disguise to hide itself is an Arctic fox.

The Arctic fox has white fur, and this helps it disguise itself to blend in with the snow.

Also, chameleons can completely change colour to match their surroundings and make it impossible for predators or hunters to find them.

Some animals change colour with the seasons. This means they are camouflaged all year round.

The stoat, for example, is brown and black for most of the year. However, in winter, in places where it snows, the stoat turns white!

Mimicry

Another way animals camouflage themselves is through mimicry.

Mimicry means you pretend to be someone or something else.

Crabs can use mimicry to blend in and avoid being detected by predators in the sea—for example, the decorator crab.

The decorator crab decorates their shell with bits of seaweed and sponge.

This allows the crab to blend in and not be as easily found by predators such as turtles, who love to eat crabs!

Patterns

Animals can use optical illusions or patterns to camouflage themselves.

Spots or stripes can help zebras and leopards hide until they can escape danger.

Stick insects use disguise to camouflage themselves by making themselves look like sticks or twigs, and this helps them blend in with their surroundings.

Some stick insects even sway back and forth to pretend that they are branches moving in the wind.

This helps prevent birds from coming to eat the stick insects!