Name the Four Kinds of Animals That Camouflage

Blending

• Some animals have camouflage patterns that allows them to blend into their environment, making them hard to see. They either have the same color pattern as their background or a similar texture. Many fish and insects use blending as a means of survival. This includes flounder, which hide at the bottom of the ocean amid the rocks of the seafloor. The white fur of polar bears also allows them to blend into the snowy environment of the arctic. This type of camouflage works best in environments that are primarily one color, so blending is more commonly seen in places such as the Arctic.

Patterns

• Many animals use patterns on their body to make themselves more difficult to see. The stripes of tigers and the white spots on young deer allow them to camouflage themselves in a forested environment even though they do not blend directly into it. Because forests have multiple colors making blending impractical, pattern camouflage helps animals break up the visual image of their bodies, making it harder to recognize them.

Disguise

• Some animals use direct disguise to make them not even appear to be animals. They take the shape of twigs, leaves and other natural items. Many types of insects disguise themselves in this way. Walking sticks, leaf-mimic katydids and ghost mantises all use this type of camouflage.

Mimicry

• Some animals use mimicry as a special form of camouflage. These animals mimic the features of dangerous, large or poisonous creatures to scare away predators. For example, the scarlet king snake is not poisonous, but it has coloring very similar to the poisonous coral snake. Predators therefore avoid the scarlet king snake, mistaking it for the deadly coral snake.