Life in the wild is not an easy struggle for existence, therefore, many representatives of the fauna have learned to hide so skillfully that the unenlightened will not even guess that he is a living creature. Disguise is often the only way to survive. We offer you to get acquainted with how animals and birds hide from dangers.
Definition
Disguise is the ability of some living things to completely merge with the environment. Its purpose is salvation from predators and humans, as well as hunting. It seems that nature itself took care of its creations, giving them an amazing color, which helps not to stand out from the environment. Disguise goals may vary:
- for some animals, the ability to merge with nature is a great way to protect against predators;
- to others, the ability to be inconspicuous against the background of the environment helps to hunt.
That is why disguise is an essential part of wildlife life.
Kinds
Without the ability to merge with nature, many representatives of the fauna would be doomed. There are several ways to mask:
- mimicry or imitative resemblance, enabling one animal to impersonate another;
- patronizing coloring - often nature itself has so fancifully decorated its inhabitants that they literally dissolve against its background;
- often the color of the coat changes depending on the season, making the beast inconspicuous both in summer and in winter.
All this helps animals become less noticeable against the background of the environment.
Examples
Disguise is an amazing phenomenon. So, among the inhabitants of the steppes and deserts, the color is dominated by yellow and gray, which makes them less noticeable against the background of dry yellowed grass. The inhabitants of the savannah - lions, hiding perfectly in dense thickets, due to their sandy color, so they can attack the prey, letting it close.
Often, striped color helps predators for a long time remain invisible to herbivores. The tiger is a true master of disguise. The animal is decorated with stripes that help it merge with the thickets, and due to the lighting become completely invisible.
Residents of the northern latitudes also adapted well to hide in the snow. Arctic fox, for example, sheds by winter, its fur becomes not only thicker and warmer, but also completely white, so the animal can hide in snowdrifts and completely merge with their background.
An example of a partridge is interesting: in the summer it is painted in gray-brown tones, therefore it does not catch the eye in the forest. In winter, the bird acquires white plumage and again becomes invisible, but already in the snow.
