Now you see me now you don't

There are several species of reptile that use camouflage to help them survive in the wild, two of which are the panther chameleon Furcifer pardalis and the leaf tailed gecko of the genus Uroplatus. These two species as well as others mentioned in the below article though similar in many ways both utilise camouflage by hiding in plain sight, so if you want to know more then check out the examples below of animals that use camouflage in their everyday lives.

The panther chameleon is a strikingly beautifully coloured lizard often sought after in the pet industry due to the bright greens and blues they exhibit. They will use often their colour changing abilities normally to signal their mood to the opposite sex, for example yellow or black means aggression whereas lighter colours can signal a wish to mate. They will also use their colouring to blend in with thick vegetation cover to avoid predation from snakes or birds. Chameleons are strict insectivores which means they only eat insects, therefore being able to change colour also aids with avoiding detection from an unsuspecting cricket Gryllidae they intend to eat. The leaf tailed gecko is another reptile that uses camouflage to hide in plain sight, if you are lucky enough to see one then they are likely to be resting on the trunk of a tree during the day becoming active at dusk. Being a nocturnal species the leaf tailed gecko uses the cover of night to hunt various insects that are active at night such as various species of moth. Using its brown to grey colouring to blend in with the trunk of the tree the leaf tailed gecko sits vertically facing towards the ground. During the day the gecko remains motionless to avoid being detected by predators, the camouflage is so convincing that you could be walking straight past one of these creatures and never know it.

The milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum is a species of king snake that uses camouflage to trick predators that it is the venomous coral snake Micrurus fulvius. The aim of this treachery is to convince any would be attackers that it is dangerous and should be left alone. The milk snake achieves this by copying the bright colours red, yellow, and black of the venomous coral snake to warn of its venom. However the milk snake is actually not venomous at all it prefers to kill its prey by constriction feeding on rodents and sometimes other snakes. Another species of snake that uses camouflage would be the UK’s adder Vipera berus. The Adder uses its greyish brown colourings to blend in with its habitat which is heathland. This is very important as snakes are ectotherms meaning they cannot regulate their internal body temperature, instead they rely on external heat sources to warm them up. Therefore the adder needs to bask in the morning sun to be able to move around and start hunting, however this does mean the adder is very vulnerable to predation while out in the open. The adders camouflage protects it by blending in with its environment which is vital for avoiding Ariel assault from birds of prey which may want to eat it. Being cold blooded this is even more important as the adder cannot respond quickly to sudden movement while cold, reducing its ability to physically defend itself or make a quick getaway to a nearby safe house in the form of a fallen log or abandoned rabbit burrow Oryctolagus cuniculus.

Therefore to summarise many animals use camouflage for many different reasons in the wild, from the chameleon who uses different colours to convey complex messages, to the milk snake that uses the bright colours of the coral snake to hide in plain sight. Last but not least the UK adder which uses camouflage to remain safe while warming up in morning sun, to the leaf tailed gecko which uses its drab dull colouring to blend in with its environment. So the next time you’re taking a walk in the wild take a closer look you might just be surprised at what you see.