♥ Camouflage and Mimicry ♥

About... Me!

My name is Stephanie Dawson. I go to Olathe North High School, and I am in both the Student Naturalist program, as well as in AP Environmental Science. I find evolutionary topics very interesting, and important. This year I have learned a lot more about these topics because I am in two classes that have covered the ideas so closely. I am attending the University of Kansas next year and intend to pursue a degree in either animal sciences or cytotechnology.




^^Grey Tree Frog using camouflage^^

About the arts of deception: Camouflage and mimicry.

Although commonly confused, camouflage and mimicry are not the same thing. They are both adaptations, which many species use to fool predators so they don't end up as dinner; however they are two different concepts of trickery. Camouflage is the term describing what some animals do when they change or are the colors and shape of a non-moving object in their environment such as a tree, twig, or leaf. Camouflage could be looked at as a way to become invisible; it is not always used to hide from predators, but also sometimes to stalk prey. Mimicry, on the other hand, is the term used to describe animals when they mimic or act like (whether using distinct coloration, or just copying behavior) another living animal which might be more frightening to a predator.
First, I am going to thoroughly explain and give prime examples of camouflage. There are many different types of camouflage. One type of camouflage is natural camouflage. As earlier explained, this is just when a species has overtime adapted to their environment to look like their surroundings. Species never decide one day that they want to be a certain color because they have a better chance of surviving; it's just that natural selection over time has changed coloration of the animal. Animals that have a natural camouflage try to either blend in with their environment, look like something that is uninteresting, or maybe even something that is dangerous. They will do anything they can to make the predators know that eating them would not be a good idea. Another type of camouflage is cryptic coloration. This is when a species may not perfectly blend in, but they certainly don't stand out. An example of this type of camouflage would be the color of squirrels and deer; they are browner shades, which help them not to stand out too much in their woody habitats. Another method of camouflage is called counter-shading; this is used a lot in aquatic biomes by species. It is what it's called when a species is darker dorsally which reduces conspicuous shadowing and fools the predator.
Many species use camouflage to trick predators. Many of the world's insects are best known for this adaptation. Because they are surrounded by trees and plants, many insects have evolved to blend in with non-moving world around them. One insect that uses this technique is the stick insect of the tropical rainforest. This insect is able to effectively blend into its surroundings because its body is a light brown color and has a convincing resemblance of a twig. Another insect that uses camouflage is the Geometrid Moth. It has the color, shape, and texture of dead leaves on the bottom of the rainforest floors. Obviously because these insects are able to use this adaptation to hide from predators and survive, camouflage proves to be an example of Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. However, insects aren't the only species in the world that use camouflage to their advantage.
Some amphibians also serve as prime examples of masters of disguise. The Grey Tree Frog possesses the same coloration as the trees they hang out on, they also have the same texture. If you were a predator looking for dinner, if you see a Grey Tree Frog hanging out on a tree with a brightly colored frog or animal, the likelyhood of you seeing the well-camouflaged frog is very slim, they will go straight for the bright colored object. This is yet another example of camouflage working as a protector.
Humans, believe it or not, also use a form of camouflage. Military clothing that soldiers wear for war is often made to blend in with the environment around them so that enemies have a hard time pinpointing them in battle. This is a successful way of sneaking around in war and "hiding" from the enemy, in order to save your own life. Camouflage doesn't always have to be an adaptation, because as seen in the human race, we didn't adapt and form a camouflage, we had to use our brains and figure out that blending in is a good idea, in order to keep safe and alive.
Another method also used to keep alive in animal kingdom is mimicry. Mimicry is where one organism evolves to share common characteristics with organism that may be considered more of a threat in the animal world. In other words, if you are a snake, you would want to mimic a venomous snake instead of a measly little 6 in. snake. Or as a coyote, you want to mimic a wolf, instead of the inferior animal the dog.
One outstanding example of mimicry is the Western Hognose Snake. This snake has learned to be one of the best thespians on the planet. Any predator that might come upon this snake will think twice as soon as this snake begins its mimicking act. This snake's first defense at the sight of a predator is to puff up and begin hissing. As a predator, that is certainly not an invitation to go ahead and strike, if anything it means one simple action... run! During this act the Hognose is clearly mimicking a rattlesnake. Many other snakes mimic dangerous snakes also. For example, some snakes have rings around their tails that look to predators as rattles; this too is using mimicry to keep predators away. These snakes have possessed the characteristics of a rattle snake in order to scare off prey.
Camouflage and mimicry are two examples of how animals survive in the wilderness. They are two theories that show how evolutionary pressures change organisms so they are able to better adapt to stay alive. Camouflage and mimicry are two different ways of survival, however, both similar in the fact that they are great forms of deception.

Examples of camouflage and mimicry

^^ Stick insect using camouflage to blend in as if it's a stick^^




^^ Western Hognose mimicking venomous snake to scare away enemies^^



^^ Human example of using camouflage^^




^^ A moth using mimicry to fool predators into thinking it is bigger


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Sites Used

http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/camouflageall.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camouflage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countershading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimicry

http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/camo.html