Welcome back to the Sunday edition. This week I wanted to have a look at how animals use camouflage.
I do quite a bit of research to make sure the information I write is accurate. I learn a lot about animals during this process and my reading often inspires new ideas for photos or things to watch for when out in the field. Research also helps me learn more about where and when to look for particular species and what types of behaviours I might expect to see at different times of the year.
I understand the concept of camouflage but until I started reading more about it there were some things I’d never considered about how animals utilize camouflage in the wild.
There are 4 different types of camouflage:
Concealing colouration helps an animal blend into its background and is common in arctic animals.
Disruptive colouration helps an animal blend into its background by disrupting the visual field with a pattern such as spots, or stripes.
Disguise is a type of camouflage that makes an animal look like something else a stick or leaf for example.
Mimicry is similar to disguise but the camouflage here makes one animal look like another usually more dangerous or poisonous one.
Up north, “blending in” is the most effective approach and many animals even change colour to match the seasons. Arctic fox, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, weasel, and Peary caribou are all northern species who sport bright white winter coats. Other residents such as snowy owls and polar bears are white all year long.
Birds and fish are the most common animals in the north that exhibit the disruptive colouration camouflage. Gull chicks, grouse, owls, northern pike and lake trout all exhibit spots or stripes to better hide in their surroundings. The Lynx would be an example of a mammal that has a disruptive pattern.
I couldn’t think of any animal in the subarctic or arctic that uses disguise or mimicry but I think that those types of camouflage are most common in insects – think of the giant spots on butterflies and moths that look like eyes. However, if you can think of any northern species that use disguise or mimicry please leave a comment below.
That’s all for this week. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you taking the time to read my posts and have a look at my photos. Please feel free to like and share or tag someone you think might be interested. See you here next week!