Animals That Can Camoflouge

Land Animals That Camouflage

• The most commonly known land animal that has the ability to camouflage is the chameleon. However, chameleons camouflage only when in imminent danger and prefer to remain their natural, light-khaki color when in the desert or their rainbow of colors when in the rain forests of Madagascar.

  Another land animal that uses seasonal camouflaging is the arctic fox. In warmer seasons, the arctic fox usually has a coat of fur with browns and grays to match the environment, and it's shed in the winter months in favor of a snow-white coat, which blends in with the snow-covered landscape.

  Other land animals that camouflage include leopards, snakes, lions, polar bears, zebras, lizards and many others.

Air Animals That Camouflage

• Air animals use camouflage in many different ways.

  The leaf butterfly uses camouflage just as its name implies. It looks just like a leaf, right down to the stick and vein patterns found on its wings.

  A viceroy butterfly might not seem to be using camouflage in the ordinary sense--it is brightly colored to look like a monarch butterfly, with bold orange and black spotting on its wings. However, this is a unique type of camouflage specifically designed to make the the viceroy look like a monarch butterfly, since the monarch's colorings are a warning to predators that they're not good to eat, according to the Great Plains Nature Center.

  Birds also use camouflaging to stay away from predators that seek them out. The arctic owl's coat helps it blend into the snow-covered land and the potoo, a nocturnal bird, uses the coloring of its feathers to blend in with trees by day when at rest. Birds also camouflage their nests to protect their young.

Aquatic Animals That Camouflage

• Aquatic animals use camouflage to hide from prey but also to seek it out.

  The ornate wobbegong, a type of shark found in Australia and New Guinea, uses its camouflage ability to seek out prey. It does this by laying flat on the seafloor and blending in with the rocks and coral. One of the wobbegong's other features is a beard on its chin that resembles seaweed. The shark will wait patiently for its prey to right to it.

  Shrimp, cuttlefish and other fish blend into their environment to hide from predators. The cuttlefish, a type of octopus, is notable because it is colorblind, yet still has the ability to change color to blend in with its surroundings. Other aquatic animals that use camouflage in some fashion include frogs, crabs, jelly fish, sting rays and dolphins.