What is camouflage in animals?

Camouflage refers to adaptations in appearance or behaviour that make an animal harder to detect in its surroundings.

How it works

Colour and pattern may resemble a background, break up the outline of the body or work alongside remaining still. Some species change appearance with seasons or development. Camouflage can help avoid predators or approach prey. Because light and the observer’s vision matter, a pattern that works in one habitat may fail in another.

Its limits

Not every striking colour is camouflage: warning colours and mimicry are different strategies. Colour alone cannot explain survival; movement, scent, sound and habitat choice also matter. Changes in habitat can reduce an old adaptation’s advantage. The U.S. National Park Service presents camouflage as one form of adaptation that blends with surroundings.