Facts about Camouflage
Camouflage is a type of crypsis, which is the ability of an organism to avoid observation in general, and includes not only camouflage, but also nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle, and transparency (Zuanon and Sazima 2006).
Some animals, particularly ruminants and termites, can digest cellulose with the help of symbiotic micro-organisms.
The most well-known terrestrial creature that changes color is the chameleon; however, it usually does not do so for camouflage purposes, but instead as a product of its mood.
Cryptic coloration is that type of camouflage whereby creatures are difficult to spot visually against their background due to use of particular colors or color patterns.
Camouflage netting, natural materials, disruptive color patterns, and paint with special infrared, thermal, and radar qualities have also been used on military vehicles, ships, aircraft, installations, and buildings.
Beyond colors, skin patterns are often helpful in camouflage as well.
Camouflage is used by hunters as well, wearing designs and colors designed to make them more difficult to spot by their quarry.
The distinction between camouflage and mimicry is arbitrarily defined in that mimicry requires that the "model" be another organism, rather than the surroundings.
Harmony in nature is seen the matching of the prey camouflage to its main predators and the predator camouflage to its main prey.
Camouflage is any natural or artificial means by which an organism is disguised such as to remain difficult to detect in the surrounding environment.
Scientists generally attribute this to coevolution of the sensory abilities of animals for whom it is beneficial to be able to detect the camouflaged animal, and the cryptic characteristics of the concealing species.
The stripes of a zebra are felt to accomplish camouflage in several ways (HSW 2007).
Countershading (or obliterative camouflage) is the use of different colors on the upper and lower surfaces, graduating from a light belly to a darker back.
Some forms of camouflage use contrasting shades to break up the visual outline, as on a gull or zebra.
