MBOU "Sosnovo-Ozerskaya average" comprehensive school No. 2"

Environmental conference within

Republican internship site

Research project

Disguise

animals

Completed by: Gruzintseva Liza,

student of 4th "A" class,

Head: Chernoyarova N.S.,

Primary school teacher

2013

Disguise

Target: find out what methods of camouflage are used by animals and plants in nature.

Tasks:

1. What is camouflage of animals and plants,
2. Learn ways to camouflage animals
3. Learn ways to camouflage plants,
4. Find out the meaning of camouflage for animals and plants.

Animal coloring

The word disguise came from the word mask – i.e. make invisible, invisible to the eye. This means that the camouflage of animals is associated with the color of their outer coverings (fur, skin, feathers, etc.). Some animals have very bright colors, while others are painted in modest tones. Why? Obviously xthe color character has a certain biological significance in life of one kind or another.

Protective coloration is the ability of animals or plants to camouflage themselves in the environment to become almost invisible. Coloration in animals appeared as a result of natural selection of shape and color. Against the background of the environment, the coloring of animals makes them
- either invisible ( protective coloration);
- or noticeable (warning coloring).

1.Protective coloring

We see the camouflage or protective coloring of animals at every step. Majority animals are green, yellowish-green or brown-green in color- in harmony with their place a habitat. Butterfly caterpillars are usually the same color as the leaves on which they develop. Green grasshoppers use green camouflage to match the color of the grass that gives them shelter. Birds living in the grass or among branches are also green in color (greenfinches, warblers, green woodpeckers.). In the forests of hot countries with evergreen trees, animals of green colors or multi-colored ones, colored to match the color of the surrounding vegetation, predominate. There you can find green parrots, green lizards, snakes, frogs and other animals in abundance.

Another example of widespread protective or harmonious coloration is observed in deserts the globe. Desert Animals, as a rule, are painted in sandy gray and brown colors. Suffice it to recall the coloring of camels - “ships of the desert”. Many rodents, birds, snakes and lizards are painted in desert colors. This color is calledpatronizing or, more correctly, hiding. Thanks to it, animals are invisible to predators. But concealing coloration is also characteristic of many strong predators. It is unlikely that a lion needs protective coloring to escape from enemies. Concealing coloring makes it easier for him to hunt, allowing him to sneak up unnoticed and suddenly take possession of his prey.

Many animals have camouflage colorschange it seasonally. These are animals of the northern zone and northern part temperate zone. The Arctic fox in the tundra has a white winter coat that changes to a dark, brownish one in summer. A similar color change occurs in rodents, such as lemmings. Winter white fur The white hare is replaced by brownish-gray fur in the summer. Common squirrel In the summer she is covered with red fur, and in the winter she dresses in a light gray fur coat, which helps her blend in with the colors of the winter landscape. The seasonal change in camouflage coloration is another confirmation of its adaptive significance.

Aquatic animals, salps and jellyfish, do not have any protective coloring, but are disguised by the fact that their body is transparent, like water, so they are literally invisible.

In other cases, camouflage similarity serves, on the contrary, as a means for predators to stalk and even attract prey, for example, spiders, snakes, and bearded sharks.

Dismembering coloring

Military structures, vehicles, guns and other objects that need to be hidden are often painted with a random combination of dark and light stripes and spots. Such painting is advantageous in that it conceals the shape and outline of the tank or structure, as if dismembering it into parts and therefore perfectly camouflages it.

This principle of dismembering Man borrowed colors from nature. Many animals, such as tigers, have a similar coloration. Tigers are very difficult to spot among the thickets precisely because of the dark and yellow stripes on the body. This coloring allows the tiger to sneak up close to its prey. Some other predators from the cat family have spotted, rather than striped, colors. Thus, the South American jaguar has black spots scattered throughout its yellow fur. This is also a dismembering color.

Some fish have extremely bizarre colors: dark vertical stripes against a light background. One of these fish, Pterophyllum scalar, is often bred in aquariums. Her homeland is South America. In a normally lit aquarium, it is difficult to notice a fish from above among aquatic plants - its flat body seems to be divided into parts by dark stripes.

Dismembering coloration better conceals the animal when moving in differently colored environments. Even more interesting are animals that, when the color of the environment changes, can change coloring of your body. The color of the environment changes when the animal moves and during various natural phenomena.

Some animals are able to quickly change color in such cases, others - slowly. The commercial sea fish flounder changes color very quickly. She spends a lot of time at the bottom, lying on her side. From the sides, her body is strongly flattened. The side on which the flounder lies is light in color; the other, facing upward, is most often greenish-gray with brown spots. Flounder with a dark color, moved to light sand, in a few minutes acquires a light, uniform color almost indistinguishable from the color of the sandy soil.

Some lizards are also capable of changing color relatively quickly.A classic example of animals with changing colors is the chameleon, which, depending on the situation, instantly turns blue, green, or red.

The change in color of such animals is explained by the fact that their skin contains special cells that contain grains of various pigments (substances painted in different colors). Such cells can have black, yellow, or brown pigment. Pigment cells are capable of changing shape: they either become flat and their surface increases, then they form processes, or, on the contrary, they shrink into a lump. Rapid color change external environment, perceived by the animal’s vision, some cells in its skin cover others and in different combinations give different skin colors. If an animal goes blind, it stops changing its color.

In mammals and birds, color depends on the pigments found in the hair and feathers; the structure of the feather also matters. They can only change color when they molt.

Sometimes animals (mostly insects) look like leaves, twigs and sticks. Such assimilation to various objects or other animals is called mimicry (imitation).

MIMICRY (from the Greek mimikos - imitative) in animals - one of the types of protective coloring and shape, in which the animal resembles environmental objects, plants, inedible or predatory animals. Helps preserve the animal in the struggle for existence.

When tropical butterfly Kalimma sits on a tree branch and folds its wings, it cannot be distinguished from a leaf. Among Orthoptera there are also insects that, even in a mobile state, can easily be mistaken for a leaf. This insect was given the name “wandering leaf”.

Stick insects are also excellent camouflages, which no bird will find among the twigs and branches of a tree. The caterpillars of our butterflies from the moth family also resort to the same tricks, which are also likened to a tree knot. To top off the similarity, they attach their hind legs to the branches, stretch out and, frozen in a stupor, are indistinguishable from a twig. The caterpillars can remain in this state for hours.

Mimicry observed among vertebrates. Sea fish the needle, found in the Black Sea, perfectly imitates the zoster plant, in the thickets of which it hides. The Australian ragworm fish has such a bizarre (non-fishy) body shape that it is very difficult to spot among seaweed.

2.Warning coloring

Many animals, especially insects that have reliable means of defense (sharp stings, potent poisons, foul-smelling substances), do not need camouflage. Such animals do not camouflage, but, on the contrary, expose themselves and have bright colors. It is beneficial for them to be visible so as not to mistakenly end up in the jaws of a predator. In this case, both the predator and the prey would suffer. Nature found a way out here too. In the process of natural selection, poisonous insects developedwarning coloring, which shows that its owners are unsafe and cannot be touched. (For example ladybugs, wasps, bumblebees). Moreover, some completely harmless and completely edible insects dress in outfits of repellent colors and thus escape from their enemies.

We already know that animals often protect themselves by imitating different objects in shape and color. Even more interesting whenone animal species imitates anothermany external signs.

For example, in the tropics South America There live two species of butterflies belonging to different families, strikingly similar to each other in size, shape and color. The study showed that helicoid butterflies are unpleasant to the taste, i.e., inedible. This means that their bright, clearly visible color can be considered a warning sign. White butterflies have the same coloring, but these butterflies are quite edible. Edible view imitates inedible. Similarities with butterflies Not edible type serves as his protection.

Attractive color characteristic of some animals (birds, fighting fish, etc.) during the period marital relations. Serves to attract individuals of the opposite sex, often combined with smells, sounds, and ritual behavior.

Plant coloringdetermined by the presence of various pigments in their organs. The most common green color associated with chlorophyll, with the participation of which plants carry out photosynthesis. Yellow, red, blue, and other colors of flowers and fruits help to attract insects that pollinate flowers, as well as birds that spread fruits and seeds.

Mimicry is also observed in plants, only it usually concerns individual organs, and not the whole organism as a whole, as in animals. For example, the flowers of some orchids are similar to female bumblebees and solitary bees, not only in color, but also in smell. Males attracted by him sit on orchids and as a result transfer pollen from flower to flower. The largest flower on earth, the rafflesia smells like carrion and is pollinated by flies trying to lay eggs on the flower. The trapping organs of some insectivorous plants resemble bright flowers that attract insects.

Mimicry in plants- similarity (shape, smell, color, etc.) with any other plants or animals.

Conclusions.

The value of disguise for living beings.

In the animal world there is not and cannot be life without struggle: herbivores eat plants, and predators eat weaker animals. But no animal wants to voluntarily fall into the jaws of a predator. If it does not have the strength to defend itself or escape, it must use camouflage. And the methods of camouflage in animals are very diverse and bizarre.

The most common type of disguise isprotective coloration, making the animal invisible against the surrounding background. It helps predators to sneak up on prey, and their potential victims - to more reliably hide from attack. This coloring is especially important on early stages development, when animals are most vulnerable: first of all, it is characteristic of eggs of open-nesting birds, chicks, and young mammals, while adults of the same species often have brighter colors.

In addition to protective colors, there are also dismembering, warning and attracting colors.

Dismembering the coloring makes the animal invisible against a motley background. Various spots or stripes seem to “tear” his body into separate “independent” sections. This coloring allows some animals to hide from numerous enemies (for example, the coloring of fish that live on coral reefs), while others (predators) can quietly get close to the prey (the coloring of pike, anaconda, leopard, etc.).

Warningcoloring (defiantly bright) is inherent in poisonous animals (dart frogs, snakes, etc.), with its help they demonstrate a lack of fear of a potential enemy and, as it were, challenge unprotected animals.

Attractive coloring is characteristic of some animals (birds, fighting fish, etc.) during the mating period. Serves to attract individuals of the opposite sex, often combined with smells, sounds, and ritual behavior.

Plants are characterized by 2 types of adaptive coloring - warning (poisonous berries of crow's eye, crow's eye) and attractive (bright corollas of insect-pollinated flowers).

Mimicry is a useful method of camouflage for animals when they become very similar to some other creatures or objects surrounding nature. In animals, mimicry promotes conservation in the struggle for existence. Mimicry can not only be aimed at passive defense, but also serve as a weapon of attack, luring prey.

The red color of blood and the yellow color of bile are indifferent to the body. They could have been other colors and nothing would have changed. But the external color of animals plays an important biological role in adapting to the environment.

The diverse coloring and shape of animals is the result of natural selection, the struggle for life. Thanks to them, the species maintains its existence.

Disguise

Application.

Color mimicry:

The plumage of the partridge merges with the surrounding background.

The frog and the grasshopper are invisible against the background of their environment.

These fish, which live in coral reefs, have dissecting coloration.

The bittern is hard to spot in the reeds. The bright coloring of the ladybug warns:

Dont touch me!

The protective coloration of camels makes them invisible against the background of sand.

A spider waits for its prey on a flower

Bat crouched on a tree trunk

Shape mimicry:

These insects look like dry leaves.

Deceptive resemblance:

1 - tropical callima butterfly with spread wings;

2 - she is with folded wings;

3 - caterpillars of the moth moth.

Imitative resemblance:

4 - hornet-shaped glass butterfly;

5 - hornet; c - wasp fly;

7 - hoverfly;

8 - bush bumblebee;

9 - a butterfly from the white butterfly family that is edible for birds;

10 - helicoid butterfly, inedible for birds.

To the means passive protection include such structures and features that only by their presence determine the greater probability of preserving the life of an individual in the struggle for existence.

Animals often develop hard covers - a kind of protective formations such as shells. In vertebrates, this is the bony covering of reptiles, which forms the true shells of turtles, are just a few examples of this kind.

To avoid predators, the main passive-defensive reactions are also freezing, flight, hiding in shelters, and other appropriate behavioral techniques.

a) Adaptive coloration is one of the important passive means of protecting organisms.

Protective coloration is often especially important for protecting the organism in the early stages of ontogenesis - eggs, larvae, chicks, etc. Thus, the eggs of birds that openly nest in the grass or on the ground always have a pigmented shell that matches the color of the surrounding background. In large birds, predators, as well as in species whose eggs are in closed nests or buried in the soil (like reptiles), protective coloration does not develop.

Often the color of animals is similar to the color of the environment in which they live. Desert snakes or lizards are grayish-yellow in color, matching the color of the surrounding soil and vegetation, and animals living among the snow have white fur or plumage.

A color that matches the main color of the environment and helps the animal remain invisible to the enemy is called protective, or protective. This type of coloration may be to some extent the same for animals from completely different geographical areas. natural areas. For example, grasshoppers or mantises, frogs, toads or lizards living in the grassy area of ​​the middle zone are characterized by a green color. It also predominates in the coloring of insects, amphibians or reptiles. tropical forests, where even among birds there are many species with green plumage.

An important element of protective coloring is the principle of counter-shading, in which the illuminated side of the animal’s body is colored darker than that in the shadow. This protective coloration is found in fish swimming in upper layers water. The dark back, but illuminated by the sun's rays, and the light, but shaded abdomen make these fish unnoticeable to predators both above and below.

Warning coloring. Very bright coloring is usually characteristic of well-protected, poisonous, burning, stinging, etc. forms The bright color warns the predator in advance that the object of their attack is inedible. Biological role This coloration has been well studied in experiments. Individual “trials and errors” eventually force the predator to give up attacking brightly colored prey (Fig. 11.5). Selection contributed not only to the production of poisonous secretions, but also to their combination with a bright (usually red, yellow, black) color.

Seasonal coloring. The role of protective coloring in seasonally changing conditions is great. For example, many animals of middle and high latitudes are white in winter, which makes them invisible in the snow (arctic fox, hare, ermine, ptarmigan, etc.). In a number of animals, a rapid (within a few minutes) adaptive change in body color is observed, which is achieved by the redistribution of pigments in the chromatophores of the skin or other integuments of the body in the flounder (Pleuronectes platessa), the agama lizard (Calotes versicolor), the chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) and other animals.

Dismembering coloring. The coloring of many animals is a combination of contrasting color spots and stripes that do not match the shape of the animal, but blend in tone and pattern with the surrounding background. This coloring seems to dismember the animal’s body, hence its name. Zebras and giraffes have distinctive colors. Their striped and spotted figures are almost invisible against the background of the vegetation of African savannas, especially at dusk, when predators go hunting. With the help of dismembering coloration, a great camouflage effect is achieved in some amphibians. Thus, the body of the inhabitant South Africa toad (Bufo superciliaris) is visually split into two parts, due to which the animal completely loses its outline. Many snakes, including the Gaboon viper, have luxurious, dismembering colors. The bright geometric pattern erases the contours of the snake’s body and makes it completely invisible against the backdrop of variegated vegetation and fallen leaves. This type of coloring is also typical for many inhabitants. underwater world, especially for coral fish. The most variegated colors are found in representatives of the bristletooth family, for example, angelfish or pennant bristletooths. Dismembering coloring disrupts the impression of the contours of the body. In this case, not only does the outline of the animal merge with the surrounding background, but it also makes it difficult to determine the outline of vital organs, such as the eyes of vertebrates. Many unrelated animals exhibit the same camouflage of the eyes with dark spots and stripes.

Repellent coloring. Animals with bright colors are clearly visible against the surrounding background. As a rule, such animals stay open and do not hide when there is danger. They do not need to be careful or hasty, since they are most often inedible or poisonous. Their bright coloring is a kind of warning to others - don't touch them!

Repelling, or warning, colors are various combinations of the most contrasting colors: red, black, yellow, white. Those species of animals whose skin glands secrete poisonous mucus, such as fire salamanders or dart frogs, also have a repellent coloration. The mucus of dart frogs is so poisonous that the natives use it to treat the tips of hunting arrows. One poisoned arrow can kill such a large animal as a leopard.

Some animals with intimidating colors, such as boxfish, have a hard “shell” that protects them from attack by other fish.

Mimicry. Mimicry is the similarity of a defenseless and edible species with one or more representatives of genetically unrelated species, well protected from attack by predators.

IN last years a lot has been revealed interesting examples mimicry. One of them is an example of Müllerian mimicry in fish. The blenny (Meiaeanthus nigrolineatus) in the early stages of development looks like juvenile cardinal fish from the family Apogonidae, the only way to protect itself is to form a school. In the early stages, the coloration of juvenile blennies is close to the coloration of cardinals: dark stripes on a light background on the sides of the body and a dark spot with a bright border at the base of the caudal fin. In adult dogs, the color is gray-blue and monotonous. Adult blennies are highly poisonous, while juveniles are mildly poisonous. Juvenile blenny are saved only in flocks of cardinals, and adult forms form their own flocks.

Milk snake imitates color

Changing color. Nature has endowed some animals with the ability to change color when transitioning from one color environment to another. This property serves as reliable protection for the animal, as it makes it unnoticeable in any environment.

In addition to the flounder fish, which is well known for its rapid color change, the thalassoma fish, which is blue in the water column and turns yellow at the bottom, changes its color to match its environment. Instantly camouflaged pipefish, skates and blennies: in the zone of red algae they acquire a red color, among green algae - green, in a yellow environment they become yellow.

Some lizards also change color. This property is especially pronounced in the tree lizard chameleon. The rapid change of color from green to yellow or brown makes it almost invisible on the branches among the foliage. In addition, the chameleon can scare away the enemy by quickly changing the color of contrasting colors, becoming either bright green, then red or black.

Some amphibians and crustaceans masterfully control their colors.

b) Protective form.

There are many animals whose body shape is similar to some object in the environment. Such similarity often saves the animal from enemies, especially if this animal also has a protective coloring. Some fish also camouflage themselves using their protective body shape. Appearance Such fish are quite unique, and their names are original, for example, clownfish, raghorse. The clownfish lives in sargassum algae, through which it moves using its pectoral and ventral fins. Thanks to its color and bizarre shape, it is completely lost in the thickets. It bears little resemblance to fish and rag-horse. Its body is equipped with numerous spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths; they fluctuate all the time, and therefore it is almost impossible to distinguish fish from algae.

b) Intimidating pose

Many animals that do not have sufficient strength to repel the enemy still try to scare him away by taking various frightening poses. For example, the long-eared lizard spreads its legs wide, opens its mouth to the limit and stretches the parotid folds, which become filled with blood and together with the mouth create the impression of a huge mouth. Achieves an even more repellent effect frilled lizard. Taking a frightening pose, she suddenly, like an umbrella, opens the skin membrane located around the neck. The sudden appearance of a brightly colored collar (cloak) surrounding a widely grinning mouth scares off many of its enemies.

Among snakes with a fearsome pose, cobras, collared snakes and especially the gray tree snake are interesting, in which, when scaring off an enemy, the shape and color of the front part of the body sharply changes. In addition, the snake sticks out a long red tongue and throws it over its head.

c) Fading

A defensive tactic for some animals is a position of complete immobility. So, upon seeing an enemy, a running hare or deer freezes in place. Thanks to this, they can remain undetected. The freezing instinct is well developed in birds. Nocturnal birds, such as bitterns and nightjars, freeze for the day. This behavior is clearly expressed in solitary birds during the incubation period. Thus, a woodcock sitting on a nest, noticing danger, presses tightly to the ground and freezes. Concealing coloring and motionless pose make it completely invisible.

There are animals that, at a moment of danger, fall into a state of stupor. A classic example is the behavior of the opossum. Unable to escape from the enemy in time, the animal falls on its side and becomes motionless, imitating death. The attacker, having sniffed the prostrate body, usually leaves, and after a while the possum “comes to life” and flees. This behavior may not be pretense, but the animal’s shock reaction to a critical situation.

The impression of death is also created by some reptiles, for example, hog snakes, which, in case of danger, lie motionless on the ground with their belly up.

d) Autotomy

An original defensive technique in animals is autotomy - the ability to instantly discard a certain part of the body at the moment of nervous irritation. This reaction is typical, for example, of many lizards. When the attacker grabs the lizard by the tail, it leaves it to the enemy and runs away. Self-mutilation occurs not consciously and not from the fragility of the organ (it is very difficult to tear off the tail of a dead lizard), but under the influence of nervous irritation. The pain caused to the tail leads to a sharp contraction of certain muscles, and the tail is automatically thrown away. The rejected organs continue to move for some time: the discarded limbs contract, the tentacles and tails wriggle, attracting the attention of the attacker. Thanks to this, the animal manages to escape.

In some animals, autotomy is associated with regeneration—the restoration of lost organs, for example in lizards.

e) Rescue in flight, escape

In the struggle to preserve life, some animals use techniques that are completely unusual for representatives of their class. Thus, among fish there are species that have adapted to flight and use it as a way of protecting themselves from attack. Such flyers include, for example, fish from the flying fish family and the wedge-bellied family. Fleeing from overtaking predators, they slip out of the water. Flying fish spread their huge pectoral fins, and some species also ventral fins, in the air and glide over the water, usually flying up to several tens of meters. Wedge bellies stay on the surface thanks to fast and frequent strokes pectoral fins and can fly up to five meters.

There are also “glider pilots” among reptiles, for example the flying dragon lizard. This reptile has false ribs with skin membranes. When the dragon is at rest, they are pressed tightly to the body. In case of danger, the lizard spreads them, forming the semblance of two wide semicircular wings, and quickly glides to a distance of up to 30 meters. In flight, decorated tree snakes also escape from attack. They flatten the body, spreading the ribs and drawing in the stomach. Having given their body a flat shape, the snakes either fly to another tree or gently glide to the ground. They use gliding flight, escaping from enemies, and tree frogs from the copepod family. Between the fingers of these amphibians there are membranes. Spreading their fingers wide and stretching their membranes, the frogs glide down easily, as if on wings.

Many animals do not take any special actions to protect themselves from enemies. Nature took care of them, giving them various protective devices that allow them to passively defend themselves from predators. Some have a protective coloring, which makes them invisible to the eyes of enemies, while others, on the contrary, have a very bright, deterrent coloring, warning the predator that this animal is poisonous or inedible. Some animals have a body shape that resembles the objects around them, which also misleads the predator and saves the animal from death.

In nature, both predators and their prey are often forced to live side by side. And predators often become prey themselves. To survive, animals camouflage themselves to match the color and shape of the environment in which they live. For example, desert snakes or lizards are grayish-yellow in color, matching the color of the surrounding soil and vegetation, and animals living among the snow have white fur or plumage.

In nature, both predators and their prey are often forced to live side by side. And predators often become someone’s prey themselves. To survive, animals camouflage themselves to match the color and shape of the environment in which they live. For example, desert snakes or lizards are colored grayish-yellow, matching the color of the surrounding soil and vegetation, and animals living among the snow have white fur or plumage.

Incubating females that nest in open places are saved from extermination by the fact that their coloring is usually in harmony with the surrounding environment and is protective. Males have more varied coloring, but, in general, their coloring remains protective. This happens in birds that live in pairs and in which the male takes part in caring for the offspring.

In the case of pronounced sexual dimorphism, in birds living in “polygamy” (many chickens, wild ducks), the plumage of females, who have to incubate eggs and care for their offspring, has a more modest, “partridge” coloring, which makes even large bird inconspicuous, while their males wear a brighter outfit. In such birds, the life of the male turns out to be less precious for the preservation of the species, since he does not take part in caring for the offspring, and in the event of his death, other males take possession of the females.

Since the main color of vegetation is green, and the vegetation itself occupies significant spaces, there are a lot of green-colored animals. Many insects, amphibians, reptiles and some birds living in the middle geographical zone have this color, in its different variations: grasshoppers, mantises, frogs, toads, lizards, as well as insects, amphibians and reptiles of tropical forests, where even among birds there are many species with green plumage. Among mammals there are also animals whose fur has a greenish tint. For example, a tropical forest dweller sloth.

In those natural areas where the seasons change and the vegetation turns yellow, orange and red in autumn, animals with the same color are found.

Animals of the North have to adapt to two directly opposite colors of the environment over the course of one year. If in the warm season the local nature has dark tones, then in winter everything is white. Therefore, animals that want to be invisible cannot have the same color throughout the year, unlike animals in more temperate latitudes, where the color contrasts of the environment do not change so dramatically. Many animals at high latitudes change their color throughout the year depending on the color of their environment. So, in the winter they molt and change the dark color of their plumage or fur to white. Widespread in Russia white hare in the summer it has a reddish-gray coat color, and in the fall, with the approach of cold weather, it sheds: the old coat falls out, and a new one grows in its place, white. Ptarmigan in summer it has reddish-brownish plumage - the color of the moss swamps where it usually builds its nest, and with the onset of winter it turns white, which is reflected in its specific name.

Seasonal coloration is also observed among insects, for example in leafhopper. With folded wings and tucked paws, they look remarkably like a leaf - hence, apparently, their name. In summer, leaf beetles are green, and with the onset of autumn, the color of their wings becomes brownish-yellow, matching the yellowed foliage, so it is very difficult to notice this insect among the leaves at any time of the year. The caterpillar of the oak shuttle butterfly also “dresses” for the season. In the spring, when the caterpillar feeds on oak buds, it is pink in color; in the summer its color becomes green, and in the fall it turns brown.

The most numerous group of animals on earth are insects. In this group of living beings, an amazing variety of colors and shapes is noticeable, a consequence of the adaptive evolution of these animals to different conditions environment, a particular manifestation of which are protective devices. Insects are a favorite delicacy of many animals, therefore, in order to survive as a species, they have developed in the process evolutionary development a wide variety of methods of protection from numerous predators.

Perhaps the most prominent group of insects is butterflies, thanks to their large, variegated, brightly colored wings, they adorn a wide variety of natural communities. The distant ancestors of butterflies were wingless; instead of wings, they had small growths that protected the respiratory slits from drying out. Over thousands of years, small growths increased in size and gradually turned into wings - membranous structures used for flight. The acquisition of wings and the ability to fly in the process of evolution allowed butterflies to move considerable distances in search of food (the search area increased), and in in some cases escape in the air from the presence of terrestrial predators everywhere. How larger area wings, the more convenient they are for long, calm soaring. However, the increase in wings and, in connection with this, general sizes butterflies, which in no way affected their defensive qualities, at the same time made the butterflies noticeable to many potential predators. Therefore, some species of butterflies have stopped in their development on relatively short wings, which makes them less noticeable and more skillful and evasive in flight.

Other butterfly species "took a different evolutionary path." Their large wings, painted in a wide variety of colors, allow the butterflies to somehow survive. The fact is that they fly over flowering meadows and forest glades, where the same bright and colorful flowers grow. It is sometimes difficult for a predator to distinguish flying beauties from equally brightly decorated flowers, against which the butterflies are almost invisible.

Most moths have wings, mainly gray, with a discreet but often complex pattern of black dashes and dots. During the day they sit on the bark of trees, in branches or under stones and almost completely blend into this background.

There are moths whose upper wings are painted in gray tones, and the lower ones in a bright color, such as red. Such butterflies use a different method of protection: many predators are afraid of conspicuous coloring, which in many cases is associated with some kind of danger. Some of these butterflies include mole crickets, whose upper wings are painted white and brown tones, and the lower ones are bright red in color, with black spots.

Usually the butterfly sits so that the front wings, invisible against the surrounding background, cover the hind wings. In moments of danger, she moves her front wings, and fiery red highlights flash from under them, often accentuated by a blue or black pattern. The rapid change of pattern frightens the attacker.

U ribbon butterflies the upper wings are grayish-brown with many stripes, lines, and spots. When the ribbon fly sits along a tree trunk and folds its wings into a “house,” it literally merges with the color and pattern of the bark. If, despite this camouflage, the butterfly is nevertheless discovered, it instantly reveals a pattern on the hind wings, surprisingly reminiscent of the eyes of some vertebrate. This may scare away small birds.

An important element of protective coloring is the principle of counter-shading, in which the illuminated side of the animal’s body is colored darker than that in the shadow. This protective coloration is found in fish swimming in the upper layers of water. The dark back, but illuminated by the sun's rays, and the light, but shaded abdomen make these fish unnoticeable to predators both above and below.

Among the animal world there are invisible animals. They are colorless and almost transparent, making them invisible against any background. The larva of the cladoceran mosquito Koretra has extraordinary transparency: through its body, as through glass, you can see underwater objects. This is a way of protecting against numerous enemies. The large wings of a butterfly of the genus Ithomia, which lives in Trinidad, are completely transparent, and when it sits on the ground or on a plant, surrounding objects are visible through them, which helps it to some extent remain invisible. The caterpillars of the agate moth butterfly are also transparent, so much so that the intestines filled with green mush can be seen through their covers; it helps this invisible creature camouflage itself among the green plants on which it feeds.

There are also invisible fish among fish. Thus, the perch that lives in the reservoirs of the Indian coast, due to the amazing transparency of the body, especially at a young age, received the name glass. This coloring, or rather its absence, saves it from many enemies. And this is not an exceptional case among fish. Also transparent prickly chanda, Commerson's perch and some other types.

The coloring of many animals is a combination of contrasting color spots and stripes that do not correspond to the outlines of the animal’s body, but blend in tone and pattern with the surrounding background. This coloration seems to dismember the animal’s body, hence its name.

Zebras and giraffes have distinctive colors. Their striped and spotted figures are almost invisible against the background of the vegetation of African savannas, especially at dusk, when predators go hunting.

With the help of dissecting coloration, a great masking effect is achieved in some amphibians. The body of the deceptive toad, or Cameroonian, living in South Africa, is visually divided into two parts, due to which the animal completely loses its shape.

Many snakes have luxuriously dismembering colors, and among them - Gaboon viper. A bright geometric pattern erases the contours of the snake's body and makes it completely invisible against the background of colorful vegetation and fallen leaves.

This type of coloration is also typical for many inhabitants of the underwater world, especially for coral fish. Representatives of the bristletooth family, such as angelfish or pennant bristletooths, are the most variegated in color.

Dismembering coloration is also found in insects. Its camouflaging protective role is especially great for those species that demonstrate it while in a calm state.

Animals with bright colors are clearly visible against the surrounding background. As a rule, such animals stay open and do not hide when there is danger. They do not need to be careful or hasty, since they are most often inedible or poisonous. Their bright color is a kind of warning - do not touch! This form of protection is called preventive, and is so effective that numerous non-poisonous species have adopted the appearance of these inedible, conspicuous animals, and therefore predators are afraid to touch them.

There are many animals whose body shape and coloring are similar to some object in the environment. This helps them become literally invisible in their usual habitat, because they either completely blend into the background (the so-called protective coloration), or are disguised as certain inanimate and inedible objects - for example, a twig or a thorn.

Stick insects perfectly imitate dry sticks, twigs, and leaves. Among insects, they are perhaps the most clever deceivers. Moth butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of thoracic and two pairs of abdominal legs. They move as if in “spans”: arching their body in an arc and bringing their hind legs closer to their front ones. When the caterpillar sits motionless on a branch, it stretches out at an angle to it and becomes like a short twig or twig. Stick insects are even more similar to dry branches, having a characteristic rod-shaped body and limbs. Various species of mantises, sitting motionless on trees and bushes, look exactly like twigs, leaves or flowers, so that even sharp-eyed birds detect them only with great difficulty.

Some fish also camouflage themselves using their protective body shape. The appearance of such fish is quite unique, and their names are original: clownfish, raghorse. Sea clown lives in sargassum algae, through which it moves using pectoral and ventral fins. Thanks to its color and bizarre shape, it is completely lost in the thickets. Looks a little like a fish rag picker. Its body is equipped with numerous spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths; they fluctuate all the time, and therefore it is almost impossible to distinguish fish from algae.

One of the protective properties of animals is the similarity of a defenseless species with a well-protected species. This phenomenon in nature was first discovered among South American butterflies, when in flocks of heliconids, which are inedible for birds, edible white butterflies, very similar to them in color, shape, size and flight style, were noticed. This similarity is called “mimicry”.

Among insects, imitation of stinging Hymenoptera is widespread. There are, for example, glass butterflies that look like hornets. Eat syrphid flies, which are difficult to distinguish from wasps, bees or bumblebees. In some insects the similarity is very great, in others it is limited only by color, but in both cases it protects them from many birds.

A kind of mimicry has been discovered between three species of snakes: the harmless king snakes and poisonous coral adders equally imitate the moderately dangerous and numerous snakes of the snake family - erythrolamrus.

Nature has endowed some animals with the ability to change color when moving from one floral environment to another. This property serves as reliable protection for the animal, as it makes it unnoticeable in any environment.

In addition to the flounder fish, which is well known for its rapid color change, the thalassoma fish changes its color to match its environment, which is blue in the water column, but lying on the bottom becomes yellow. Pipefish, pipits and blennies instantly become camouflaged: in the zone of red algae they become red, among green algae they become green, and in a yellow environment they become yellow.

Some lizards also change color. This is especially evident in the tree lizard chameleon. The rapid change of color from green to yellow or brown makes it almost invisible on the branches among the foliage.

The cephalopod mollusk octopus also changes color at a time of danger. This animal can also instantly camouflage itself under soil of any color, repeating the most bizarre pattern of the seabed or algae. Cuttlefish do this especially skillfully. And if the enemy gets too close, they have one more trick in store: wrap themselves in a cloud of so-called "ink" - a dark, opaque liquid.

Some amphibians, crustaceans, insects and even spiders masterfully control their coloring.

Animal camouflage provides them with amazing ability remain invisible in wildlife. The animal world is not safe, not only the predator himself needs a protective coloration in order to quietly get close to the victim.

1. Find the animals in the picture

An exciting game "find animals by picture" will introduce you to the best masters of disguise in the world of animals. It's not as easy as it seems. After all, animals and birds do everything to avoid being found.

2. Chameleon

The camouflage of animals into their environment is amazing. The unsurpassed master in this art is the chameleon. He is able to change the color of the body under different lighting, humidity and even the temperature of the air around! The name of the lizard comes from the name of a mythical creature that could change color.

3. Stone fish

The protective coloring of animals suits their living conditions. Stonefish is one of the unusual inhabitants seabed. Her rough skin is covered with sharp spines. The stonefish burrows into the ground, leaving the top of its head and back on the surface. Blades of grass and pieces of algae sticking to it make it indistinguishable from the seabed.

4. Spider

The art of animal camouflage is not only available to animals. Spiders are great at hiding while waiting for prey. They are almost impossible to see on the surface of the earth. Depending on the habitat, their natural color may resemble stone, sand, tree bark or dry leaves.

5. Moth

The natural camouflage of animals is also characteristic of butterflies. A moth, or moth butterfly, is able to reproduce the color of a natural surface. When it lies motionless, it is difficult to distinguish it from a dry leaf or piece of moss.

6. Stick insect

Examples of animal camouflage can also be found among tropical insects. The stick insect is large insect, but it is not easy to spot it in the wild. His appearance and the color resembles a small twig.

7. Seahorse

Considering pictures of animal disguise, you should pay attention to such an inhabitant of coral reefs as sea ​​Horse, better known as the rag-picker seahorse. Its colors repeat the shades of corals and algae among which it hides.

8. Octopus

The octopus is a true master of imitating other animals. This cephalopod has an incredibly flexible body, capable of taking on almost any shape and color. By hiding six of its eight legs, it may resemble a sea snake.

9. Frog

Small tree frogs are secretive animals. To avoid being eaten, this frog practically blends in with tree bark or dry leaves. Its natural shade is light green. But when it climbs onto the bark of a tree, it immediately changes color to brown.

Or it hides under the moss, but the likelihood of being eaten increases due to the number of predators who are not averse to feasting on them.

10. Cheetah

Animal camouflage sometimes has the most unusual purposes. The cheetah is not only the fastest runner, but also an excellent camouflage artist. Its sandy-golden color with small black spots makes it almost invisible in dense grass or bushes.

11. Giraffe

Disguise in the animal world is needed not only by the small and weak, but also by the largest. The giraffe’s “signature” spotted color helps it to be invisible in the shade of tropical trees. From a distance, this long-necked animal can easily be confused with a tall tree.

12. Frogmouth

When looking at photos of animal camouflage, it is worth paying attention to such a forest inhabitant as the smoky frogmouth. It is a nocturnal bird with protective colors. During the day, she sits motionless on tree branches or logs. The brownish-brown color allows it to “merge” with the surrounding space.

13. Irbis

Irbis, or Snow Leopard is a frequent inhabitant of mountain slopes. The gray and smoky color of its fur allows it to blend in with the lichen-covered stones. Animal camouflage can also be seasonal. The summer color of the snow leopard is always lighter than the winter color.

14. Crocodile

Crocodiles are animals that are masters of camouflage. Almost the most formidable predator on Earth is capable of for a long time lie motionless, waiting for prey. The unique coloring of its lumpy skin helps it to be invisible in the water.

15. Flounder

Flat as a pancake, flounder can be completely indistinguishable from seabed. A great example of how color protects animals is the color of the skin. Flounder swims tightly pressed to the bottom.

16. Nightjar

The giant nightjar is a bird that, at first glance, is unremarkable. The grayish-brown color of the feathers makes a fairly large bird almost invisible against the background of tree bark.

17. Owl

Animal camouflage is needed not only by daytime, but also by night predators. Among them, the owl is one of the most skillful camouflages. During the day, an owl sitting on a tree is difficult to notice even from a distance of several steps.

If you meet an owl during the day and wake it up, it will start darting from side to side. Since she is a nocturnal predator, her vision is completely powerless during the day.

18. Grasshopper

The green grasshopper is often clearly audible, but it is not easy for an inattentive person to see it. Its coloration is ideal for life in grass. Interestingly, the camouflage color of grasshoppers is an imitation of other, more dangerous insects.

19. Cuttlefish

The cuttlefish is perhaps the only colorblind animal that imitates the colors of its environment. As an inhabitant of the seabed, this cephalopod is capable of imitating any color and texture of the surface.

20. Partridge

Wild partridges live and raise their chicks on the ground, among thick grass. The color of their plumage changes depending on the time of year. In winter, their feathers turn bright white. Summer coloring of gray-yellow shades gives way to reddish-brown in autumn.

21. Snake

Snakes move quickly and almost silently along the ground, hiding from possible danger. During spring molting, they change their skin, and their scales acquire the desired color.

22. Butterfly

Among butterflies there are also many masters of camouflage. The natural color of the wings of many species exactly matches the color and pattern of the leaves.

23. Caterpillar

Caterpillars always feed on leaves, so their natural color is green. This makes them completely invisible on the young leaves on which they feed.

24. Gecko

The leaf-tailed gecko often hides among the leaves. Its color resembles a dried leaf left on a branch.

They are harmless creatures, so many dangers await them. It is vital for them to learn how to camouflage themselves, otherwise a terrible misfortune awaits them.

25. Cat (Domestic)

Although a domestic cat does not need to hunt, the skill of camouflaging animals will come in handy for him too. Finding a furry pet in the house can be quite difficult. Domestic cats have the same camouflage coloring as lions, tigers and other “big cats”.

Protective coloration is the protective color and shape of animals that make their owners invisible in their habitats. Essentially, this is a type of passive defense against natural predators. The protective coloring is combined with a certain behavior of its owner. Usually the animal hides against a background that matches its color; in addition, it takes a certain pose. For example, many butterflies are located on the surface of a tree in such a way that the spots on their wings coincide with the spots on the bark, and the bittern, which nests in the reeds, stretches its body along the stems of plants in case of danger.

The role of passive protection in the life of animals

Protective coloration is especially important for the protection of organisms at an early stage of ontogenesis (larvae, eggs, chicks), as well as for adult individuals that lead a sedentary lifestyle or are at rest (for example, sleeping) for a long period. In addition, it plays an important role in conditions of rapid environmental change. Thus, many animals have the ability to change color when moving to a different background. For example, agama, flounder, chameleon. IN temperate latitudes Many animals and birds are subject to seasonal color changes.

It is customary to distinguish three types of patronizing demonstration and mimicry. All of them arise as a result of the interaction of living beings in biogeocenosis against the background of certain environmental conditions. Protective coloration is a biocenotic adaptation developed as a result of the conjugate evolution of predators and prey. In addition to protective colors, there are also warning, attracting and dismembering colors.

Protective painting

As mentioned above, the protective coloration of animals always resembles the environment in which they live. For example, desert lizards or snakes have a yellow-gray color to match the vegetation and soil, and the inhabitants of snowy areas have white feathers and fur. This disguise of animals allows them to remain invisible to enemies. It may be to some extent the same for the inhabitants of completely different natural zones. For example, praying mantises or grasshoppers, lizards or frogs living in the grassy area of ​​the middle zone are characterized by a green color. It also predominates in insects, reptiles, amphibians, and even in some species of birds of tropical forests. Often, protective coloration may include a pattern. For example, ribbon butterflies have a pattern of many stripes, spots and lines on their wings. When they sit on a tree, they completely merge with the pattern of its bark. One more important element Protective coloring is the counter-shade effect - this is when the illuminated side of the animal has a darker color than the one in the shadow. This principle is observed in fish that live in the upper layers of water.

Seasonal coloring

For example, consider the inhabitants of the tundra. Thus, partridges or arctic foxes in summer have a brown color to match the color of vegetation, stones and lichens, and in winter period it turns white. Also the inhabitants middle zone, such as foxes, weasels, hares, and stoats, change their coat color twice a year. Seasonal colors also exist in insects. For example, a leaf fly with folded wings is surprisingly similar to a tree leaf. In summer it is green, and in autumn it turns brown-yellow.

Repellent coloring

Animals with bright colors are clearly visible; they often stay open and do not hide in case of danger. They don't need to be careful as they are often poisonous or inedible. Their warning coloring signals to everyone around them - don’t touch them. Most often it includes various combinations of the following colors: red, black, yellow, white. As an example, a number of insects can be cited: wasps, bees, hornets, ladybugs, etc.; and animals: dart frogs, salamanders. For example, poison dart frog mucus is so poisonous that it is used to treat arrowheads. One such arrow can kill a large leopard.

Let's look at what is meant by this term. Mimicry in animals is the similarity of defenseless species with well-protected species. A similar phenomenon in nature was first discovered in South American butterflies, so in flocks of giliconids (inedible for birds) white butterflies were noticed, which were very similar in color, size, shape and flight style to the first. This phenomenon is widespread among insects (glassy butterflies disguise themselves as hornets, sifid flies as wasps and bees), fish and snakes. Well, we've looked at what mimicry is, now let's look at the concept of form, dividing and changing coloring.

Protective form

There are many animals whose body shape is similar to various objects in the environment. Such properties save them from enemies, especially if the shape is combined with protective coloring. There are many types of caterpillars that can stretch out at an angle to a tree branch and freeze, in which case they become like a twig or twig. The resemblance to plants is widespread in the tropical species of devil, cicada adelungia, cyclopera, acridoxena, etc. The clown sea or rag-horse can camouflage themselves with the help of their body.

Dismembering coloring

The coloring of many representatives of the animal world is a combination of stripes and spots that do not correspond to the shape of the owner, but in tone and pattern they merge with the surrounding background. This coloration seems to dismember the animal, hence its name. An example would be a giraffe or a zebra. Their spotted and striped figures are almost invisible among the vegetation African savannah, especially at dusk, when they go hunting. A large camouflage effect due to dismembering coloring can be observed in some amphibians. For example, the body of a South African Bufo toads superciliaris is visually broken into two parts, as a result of which it completely loses its shape. Many also have distinct colors, which makes them invisible against the background of fallen leaves and variegated vegetation. In addition, this type of camouflage is actively used by inhabitants of the underwater world and insects.

Changing color

This property makes animals unnoticeable when the environment changes. There are many fish that can change their color when the background changes. For example, flounder, thalassoma, pipefish, pipits, blennies, etc. Lizards can also change their color, this is most clearly manifested in the tree chameleon. In addition, the octopus mollusk changes its color in case of danger; it can also skillfully camouflage itself under soils of any color, while repeating the most cunning ornament of the seabed. Various crustaceans, amphibians, insects and spiders masterfully manage their colors.