Animals in Disguise

You may dress up for Halloween this month. But some animals are in costume all the time. It’s how they snag their dinner—or avoid becoming someone else’s meal. “Camouflage and mimicry are the two best-known animal defenses,” says Tom Sherratt. He’s a biologist at Carleton University in Canada.

Camouflage helps animals blend in with their surroundings. Mimicry makes them look like an entirely different animal or plant. Both tricks are adaptations that help the animals survive. 

Many species use these tactics to hide from predators or ambush prey. But a few have especially clever ways of going undercover. Read on for five examples of amazing animal costumes.

You may dress up for Halloween this month. But some animals are in costume all the time. These animals may have special coloring or shape to help them blend in with their surroundings. This is called camouflage. Animals may also look like other animals. This is called mimicry.

These adaptations help creatures survive. “Camouflage and mimicry are the two best-known animal defenses,” says Tom Sherratt. He’s a biologist at Carleton University in Canada. 

Many animals use these tricks to sneak up on their meals. Other animals use these tactics to avoid becoming someone else’s dinner. A few even have extra-clever ways of going undercover. Read on for five examples of amazing animal costumes.

Many spiders build webs to trap their prey. But this flower-mimicking crab spider in South America doesn’t bother with that. Instead, it imitates a colorful flower—and its prey comes right to it!  

Many spiders build webs to trap insects to eat. But the flower-mimicking crab spider doesn’t bother with that. It’s found in South America. The spider eats bugsthat feed on flowers’ nectar, like bees. The spider tucks itself into a blossom and waits. Its food comes right to it!

Crab spiders eat insects like bees, which feed on flowers’ nectar. To hunt, the flower-mimicking crab spider just nestles into a blossom and waits. When an insect lands to look for nectar, the spider grabs it with its strong front legs and injects a deadly venom.

The floral disguise serves another purpose too. It hides the spider from birds that might eat it. Birds and bees see different ranges of colors, explains Brett Seymoure, a biologist at Arizona State University. So flower-mimicking spiders have evolved to display colors that trick both types of animals. 

An insect lands on the flower to look for nectar. Then the spider grabs it with its strong front legs. The spider injects venom into the insect. The poison is deadly.

The flowery disguise serves another purpose too. It hides the spider from birds that might eat it. Birds and bees see different ranges of colors. Flower-mimicking spiders have evolved to solve this problem. They’ve changed over time to display colors that trick both types of animals.

If animals had a costume contest, this gecko might take the top prize. Its dead-leaf outfit is so detailed, it even looks like pieces have rotted away!

Leaf-tailed geckos live on the island of Madagascar, a country off the coast of Africa. Like all lizards, they sunbathe to keep warm. That could make them easy prey for rats, snakes, and birds. But their brown coloring and crinkled shape make them almost impossible to spot among decaying leaves in the forest.

This gecko might take the top prize at an animal costume contest. Its outfit looks like a dead leaf. It even looks like pieces have rotted away!

Leaf-tailed geckos live on an island off the coast of Africa. Geckos and other lizards lie in the sun to keep warm. That could make them an easy meal for rats, snakes, and birds. That’s why they have brown coloring and a wrinkled shape. It makes them hard to spot among fallen leaves in the forest.

Different species of leaf-tailed gecko mimic different parts of trees. Some look like bark instead of leaves. Others have green spots to blend in with patches of moss. “It’s a great example of the power of adaptations,” says Sherratt, the biologist. 

There are different types of leaf-tailed geckos. Each mimics different parts of a tree. Some look like bark instead of leaves. Others have green spots. They help the geckos blend in with patches of moss.

Can you spot the deadly predator in this photo? It’s a frogfish in the Caribbean, and it uses camouflage to surprise its prey.

Frogfish live in coral reefs in oceans around the world. Their lumpy skin and bright colors make them look like harmless hunks of coral. But they’re actually hunters, lying in wait to snap up other fish to eat. 

Can you spot the deadly hunter in this photo? It’s a frogfish in the Caribbean. It uses camouflage to sneak up on food.

Frogfish live in coral reefs in oceans around the world. They have lumpy skin and bright colors. It makes them look like harmless hunks of coral. But they’re actually lying in wait. They hide to snap up other fish to eat. 

There’s only one part of a frogfish its prey might notice—and that’s a trick too. A retractable fin hangs from the frogfish’s head like a fishing pole. A wiggly lure on the end mimics a shrimp that a small fish might eat. When the prey approaches to check out the snack—gulp! The frogfish sucks the unsuspecting visitor into its mouth and swallows it whole. 

There’s only one part of a frogfish that other fish might notice. And that’s a trick too. A fin hangs from the frogfish’s head like a fishing pole. It has a wiggly lure on the end. It mimics a shrimp that a small fish might eat. When a fish comes to check out the snack, gulp! The frogfish sucks the surprised visitor into its mouth. 

If you walked by this bird in the South American rainforest, you might not even know it was there. When a potoo (puh-TOO) perches on a tree, it looks exactly like a broken branch. 

Potoos hunt insects at night and sleep during the day. While resting, they need to keep quiet and absolutely still. Otherwise a monkey or a snake might nab them for lunch. But by blending in perfectly with their perch, the birds can hide right out in the open. 

You might not even know this bird was there if you walked by it. The potoo (puh-TOO) lives in the South American rainforest. It looks exactly like a broken branch when it perches on a tree.

Potoos sleep during the day. They need to keep quiet and still while resting. Otherwise, a monkey or a snake might nab them for lunch. The birds blend in perfectly with their perch. That way they can hide right out in the open. 

When night falls, the nocturnal animals finally stir again. Their calls can be heard from miles away in the rainforest. According to legend, the potoo’s haunting songs carry messages from the dead! 

The birds are nocturnal animals. They hunt insects after dark. Their calls can be heard from miles away. The songs are spooky. Legends say that they carry messages from the dead!