Deceptive Coloration - NatureWorks 01/04/20, 11:58 AM

Deceptive Coloration Deceptive coloration is when an organism's color fools either its predators or its prey. There are two Some and look like other things -- types of deceptive coloration: and they mimic them. Mimicry is another type of mimicry. deceptive coloration. It can protect the mimic from Camouflage predators or hide the mimic from prey.

If mimicry was a play, there would be three characters.

The Model - the species or object that is copied.

The Mimic - looks and acts like another species or object.

The Dupe- the tricked predator or prey.

The poisonous Camouflage helps an organism blend in with its coral snake surroundings. Camouflage can be colors or and the patterns or both. When organisms are harmless camouflaged, they are harder to find. This means king snake predators have to spend a longer time finding can look a them. That's a waste of energy! When a predator is lot alike. camouflaged, it makes it easier to sneak up on or Predators surprise its prey. will avoid Blending In: Stripes or Solids? the king snake because they think it is poisonous. This type There are of mimicry is called . In lots of Batesian mimicry a harmless species mimics a different toxic or dangerous species. examples of The and were once thought to camouflage. Some colors and patterns help exhibit animals blend into areas with light and shadow. Batesian The tiger's stripes help it blend into tall grass. Its mimicry golden brown strips blend in with the grass and the where a dark brown and black stripes merge with darker harmless shadows. When a tiger is hiding in the grass, it is species mimics a toxic species. very difficult to spot!

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Other big Studies cats like conducted , in the early jaguars and 1990's cheetahs suggest that have spots the viceroy that help and the them blend monarch into their are actually examples of Mullerian mimicry environment. Their spots work the same way the where two equally toxic species mimic each other tiger's stripes do. The dark spots blend in with the to the benefit of each. Just goes to show you that shadows and the lighter blends in with lighter there's always something new to discover in the areas of their surroundings like the sunlight natural world! shining on the plants around them. Can You Tell the Difference? - Break It Up Click on each image to identify the butterfly. Stripes and spots can be disruptive Some mimics look like something else, not to avoid predators, but to catch prey. Aggressive mimics resemble their background or signal that they are something else to help them catch their prey.

The or angler lures its prey to coloration. Disruptive coloration helps break up where it can an 's outline. This makes it difficult for other strike. It animals to see it. You'd think that the black and has a long white stripes of the would make it easy for antenna- predators to see it! The main predator of the zebra like is the lion. Lions don't like to hunt in the heat of extension the day, they prefer sleeping in the shade. They on its head hunt as it gets dark. As the sun goes down, the that it black and white stripes of the zebra help it blend wiggles. into the tall grass. But the zebra's stripes have Other fish and crustaceans think its a little fish and another purpose. come in close to eat it. When they do, the eats them!

Cryptic Coloration

Some organisms look so much like another object that they almost disappear!

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Zebras live The in herds. walking Lions like stick looks to pick out so much one like a twig member of that it's the herd easy to that looks overlook it. weak. Walking When the sticks are lion attacks, members of the the start Phasmatodea order of . There are over running in all directions. With all those stripes 2,500 species in this order and over 32 species in mixing together, its easy for the lion to lose the North America. Most species in this order are zebra it picked out of the herd. found in the tropics. Solid Color Species in this order all have one thing in common Sometimes - they are masters of disguise! Because walking an animal sticks look like twigs and sticks it is very difficult blends best for predators to spot them! Most species of walking into its stick have no wings or very small, non-functioning wings. Walking sticks also move slowly, so they don't attract predators.

The katydid looks like a leaf. Katydids are environment when it is a solid color. The white fur also known of the polar bear is perfect for an arctic as leaf bugs environment. or bush crickets. Top and Bottom: Counter Shading Katydids are Another type of camouflage is called counter members of shading. Animals with have the different colors on their backs and stomachs. grasshopper family. There are over 6,000 species of katydids in the world. The red squirrel The praying has can reddish- look like a brown fur leaf and a on top and twig! The white fur on praying its mantis is a undersides. member of The darker the top fur Mantidae makes it family of harder for insects. predators to see the squirrel when it is on the There are over 2,400 species of found ground. When it is perched on a tree branch, the around the world. white fur on its belly helps it to blend into the https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/nwep2a.htm Page 3 of 4 Deceptive Coloration - NatureWorks 01/04/20, 11:58 AM lighter sky above. Eyespots: I'm Watching You! Some also have and moths counter have large shading. eyespots. Penguins These spend a lot eyespots of time in trick the water. into The dark thinking feathers on the their backs butterfly or help moth is much larger than it really is! camouflage them from predators that are swimming above them. Their white stomach feathers hide them from predators swimming below them.

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