Camouflage Re-Write

Chelsea Borek

Kerr

EN101-5

9/29/10

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method found in nature that allows an organism to blend in with its surrounding environment (Chemistry Daily.) This technique is used to avoid observation through deception. By blending in with the environment, an organism can often escape detection from predators. Animals can produce camouflage by blending in with a specific environment, changing with the environment, and through mimicry.

Animals produce colors to blend in with their environment. Blending in with a particular environment is a very effective form of camouflage. However, this is only true when the animal remains in its original environment because animals are unable to alter their colors. For example, deer are a brownish color that blends in with the browns of a forest’s trees and soil, while dolphins are a grayish-blue color that camouflages them with the water. Neither the deer nor the dolphin would be able to change its pigmentation just by moving to a new environment. There are two methods responsible for this type of camouflage: natural pigments, and physical structure of fur.  The first method, natural pigmentation, relies on pigment molecules that produce the distinct coloration of the animal, allowing it to copy the colors of its environment. These pigments that are found in skin and fur and absorb specific wavelengths of light while reflecting others (Animals| Causes of Colors.) In the second method, the camouflage is produced from the physical structure of the fur.  An example of this is the coat of a polar bear. The translucent hairs of a polar bear create their white coloration. Their skin is actually black, and when light strikes the curved hairs, some is absorbed into the surface of the skin, and the rest is reflected out (Animals| Causes of Colors.) An animal that is effectively camouflaged in one environment would be extremely noticeable and more vulnerable in another.

Animals can also produce a camouflage to change with altering environments. One of the largest shifts in an animal’s environment occurs with the changes of seasons. The Arctic Hare, in the summer, has brown fur. The brown camouflages the Hare with the soil and lower parts of trees and shrubs. In the winter, the Hare goes through a period of shedding the brown fur and it is replaced with white fur. This pure white coloration camouflages the Hare in the new snowy environment (5 Arctic Animals.) Some animals do not need to completely lose their outer covering to change their color. In the ocean, the slug-like sea animals, Nudibranches, change coloration by simply altering their diet. Nudibranches not only live in the coral but it is also their primary food source. As they consume the coral, pigments from the coral are deposited in their skin. This results in the Nudibranch being an exact match with the coral (National Geographic Magazine.) When the animal moves to a different color coral, the body color changes along with the new food source. The diet of the Nudibranch allows the animal to maintain perfect camouflage, regardless of their location.

Mimicry is a third form of camouflage. Mimicry is the ability of an animal to copy the pattern of another animal, in order to confuse a potential predator. The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry by having similar colors and markings as the foul tasting Monarch butterfly. This deceives birds that would otherwise eat the Viceroy butterfly because birds mistake them for the Monarch (National Zoo.) Another insect that uses mimicry to camouflage itself is the Drone fly. Drone flies are often mistaken for bees because the body of a Drone fly shares the striped pattern that is commonly found on a bee (Pond Life.) Camouflage by mimicry is not found only in insects. A reptile, the Scarlet King snake, is also an excellent imitator. The coloring of a Scarlet King snake is almost exactly the same as that of a venomous Coral snake. The only difference between the two is the pattern of the stripes with the colors occurring in a different order on each species of snake. At first glance, a potential predator would easily mistake the harmless Scarlet King snake for the deadly Coral snake (Indian Public Media.) Mimicry is a unique type of camouflage because it does not hide the animal’s presence, it merely misrepresents it.

 There are many examples of camouflage found in nature. Camouflage can be as simple as producing an outer covering that matches one environment, or as complex as giving an animal the ability to be hidden in changing environments. Sometimes, it allows animals to deceive their predators by imitating more threatening species. Camouflage is a prevalent method of allowing living things to blend in with their environment so as to escape detection from predators. 

Works Cited

 "5 Arctic Animals That Turn White for Winter." WebEcoist. Web. 27 Sept. 2010. <http://webecoist.com/2008/12/24/arctic-animals-change-color-camouflage/>.

"Animals | Causes of Color." Webexhibits. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/7I.html>.

By. "Batesian Mimicry in Snakes: Coral Snakes and Scarlet King Snakes | A Moment of Science - Indiana Public Media." Indiana Public Media | News and Information, Music, Arts and Community Events from WFIU and WTIU. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. <http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/batesian-mimicry-snakes/>.

 "National Geographic Magazine - NGM.com." Web. 25 Sept. 2010. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/nudibranchs/holland-text>.

"Pond Life - The Drone Fly." Pond Life - Meditating with a Dip Net. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. <http://www.pond-life.us/pond-life-drone-fly-1.html>.

Raffia, To Use. "Chemistry - Camouflage." Chemistry Daily - Articles on Every Chemistry Topic. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. <http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Camouflage>.

So, By Doing. "Insect Camouflage and Mimicry - National Zoo| FONZ." Welcome to the National Zoo| FONZ Website - National Zoo| FONZ. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Invertebrates/Facts/insects/camouflage.cfm>.