Some animals live in permanent disguise all year long: they are adept at camouflage . These are animals with the ability of mimicry, an ability that certain living beings have to resemble other organisms and their own environment to obtain some advantage . Thus, they can look like leaves, flowers, or even a ferocious creature to avoid being attacked. The truth is that it is a technique used by both predators and prey.
The art of camouflage finds its correct name in the term crypsis, from the Greek Kryptos, which means ‘what is hidden’ or ‘what is hidden’. There are four broad categories to classify the different types of crypsis: immobility, coloration, pattern and non-visual.
The first of all, immobility , is the simplest of techniques. As is well intuited, it consists of remaining completely still in the same place to end up being confused with the environment. This is very effective with certain species of reptiles, as some only detect the presence of another animal if it moves.
The coloring , for its part, is one of the most striking and spectacular. The animal adapts its body to the tones of the habitat in which it is found and in some cases, it is really difficult to discern between landscape and animal. In this group, the figure of the chameleon has been included, but in an erroneous way, since its color change is not due to the mimicry with what surrounds them, but because of its psychological state and the consonance with the ambient temperature.
When we talk about pattern cryptosis , we refer to the type of camouflage that some animals develop simulating the texture that surrounds them . Typically, this ability goes hand in hand with cryptosis by coloration, thus creating a perfect mimicry.
All these techniques have to do with the deception of the other’s eye. However, there are other methods to go unnoticed between species that do not use vision as a primary sense. This is the case of non-visual crypsis, which enhances camouflage through the alteration of smells and sound.
The wisdom of the animal kingdom has no limits and its fascinating way of life reveals new mysteries and curiosities every day. In this gallery, we collect some of the most expert species in deception. Would you be able to differentiate them in their habitat?
