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Some of us animals are blessed with a unique ability to camouflage ourselves so that we blend into our surroundings. We can do this in different ways depending on our features. For us snow leopards, we use our fur to achieve this, and we are so good at it that we have been given the nickname “ghost of the mountain.” The Eastern Screech Owls are gifted with the ability to blend almost seamlessly with the trees that they live in. The owls do this by using their feathers to blend into the patterns, textures and colors of the bark of trees. The South American Potoo birds also camouflage themselves to match the trees they live in. Peppered Moths are very skilled at blending into their environment. When the Peppered Moths are still wee caterpillars, they change their color to match the sticks or branches that they crawl along. There is also a very captivating butterfly called the Indian oakleaf that is found throughout Asia. When their wings are spread wide, they reveal bright colors. Yet when they hold their wings together, the butterflies suddenly resemble a dried or browned leaf. Flower spiders or crab spiders can also change their color to match their surroundings. The Malaysian Orchid Mantises also camouflage themselves by blending in with flowers. The poses, shapes and colors of these beautiful insects mimic those of an orchid flower, and their four legs often look like flower petals. The Vietnamese Mossy Frogs like to make their homes in mossy caves and near streams. Due to their green color, black spots and the uneven texture of their skin, they look very similar to a clump of green moss. In the vast oceans of the world there are many species of octopuses. Not only can they change the color of their skin, but they can do it almost instantaneously. As I’ve mentioned, the seahorses rest and roam around the sea fans, and the texture of their body, the tubercles and the patterns on their surface are so incredibly similar to the sea fans themselves that it is highly likely that you wouldn’t easily spot them either. Going down to the very bottom of the sea floor now, the stonefish have a reputation for being unobservable in their environment. They like to live in coral and rocky reefs, and they can even have algae growing on them which makes them blend into their environment even more.
