10 Animals That Are Camouflaged(With Pictures)

Stick insects
Stick insects

Animals that are camouflaged use their surroundings to protect themselves from predators or even attack predators. It helps the animal species to disguise themselves and hide them from predators. So, camouflaging help their prey to escape and sneak up. This can be also defined by the type of colouration or patterns that animal bled with the surroundings. The phenomena are most common in invertebrates including species of octopus, squid and many others. Here is the list of camouflaged animals in the world,

Animals That Are Camouflaged

1.Cookiecutter shark

  • Cookiecutter shark is shark species that belongs to the dogfish family.
  • It prefers to thrive in warm, temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
  • The shark species lives at a depth of 3200 to 12100 feet and they are available in good numbers because it is not part of the human diet and they rarely end up in the fishing nets.
  • It can grow upto 16.5 to 22 inches in length where females are larger than males.
  • Cookiecutter shark perform the camouflaging known as counterillumination
  • Cookiecutter shark has a light-emitting organ known as photophores situated in the underside of the body. It will produce greenish light or strobe-like, flashing light. The shark will swim closer to the surface of the water at night and the predator fish will look at them from the bottom. The glowing belly will give an apperance like a spot of sunlight or moonlight shining through the water.
  • The average lifespan of the shark species is unknown.
Cookiecutter shark
Cookiecutter shark

Image Source: JSUBiology

2.Rattlesnakes

  • Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes and their venom can destroy blood cells and vessels. This is used for both huntings and for defence against predators. It is also fatal for humans if not treated immediately.
  • As of now, 32 known species of rattlesnakes live in North and South America.
  • It prefers to thrive in the regions of arid and desert rocky areas, however, it is also seen in the forests, prairies and swampy habitats.
  • The size of Rattlesnakes depends on the species, however, the largest known species can reach upto 8 feet. The avarage length is 3 to 4 feet long.
  • It is carnivores and hunts on rats, mice and small birds.
  • It is one of the camouflaged animals that can very well hide because of typical colouration on scaly skin. There is a warning device is present in rattlesnake after which it is actually named.
  • Rattlesnakes can also survive near the water along with arid habitats. They are excellent swimmers.
  • The snake species sometimes bites without releasing the poison. These bites are known as dry bites”.
Rattlesnakes
Rattlesnakes

3.Wobbegong Sharks

  • Wobbegong Sharks is the name given to 12 species of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae.
  • It prefers to thrive in tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean mostly around countries such as Australia and Indonesia.
  • It can grow upto a length of 1.25 m (4.1 ft) but the maximum recorded length was about 3 m (9.8 ft) in length.
  • Wobbegong Sharks is one of the animals that are camouflaged with the help of asymmetrical pattern of bold markings which resembles a carpet and because of these striking patterns, it is also known as carpet sharks. The camouflaging will be better with the help of small weed-like whisker lobes that will surround the wobbegong’s jaw and it will act like sensory barbs. The species will hide behind rocks and catch smaller fish that swim too close with the help of camouflaging.
Wobbegong Sharks
Wobbegong Sharks

Image Source: Wikimedia

4.Stick insects

  • Stick insects also known as stick-bugs, walking sticks, or bug sticks that belongs to the family Phylliidae.
  • These insects can be seen across the globe except Antarctica and tehy are most abundant in the tropics and subtropics.
  • Stick insects have natural camouflage that makes them difficult to identify for predators and there are many species that have secondary lines of defence in the form of startle displays, spines or toxic secretions.
  • It can reach upto 1.5 centimetres (0.6 in) to over 63 centimetres (25 in) in length and the longest stick insect measured was up to 64 centimetres (25 in) in total length.
  • These insects belong to the order Phasmatodea and can be camouflaged on either sticks or leaves.
Stick insects
Stick insects

5.Common Potoos

  • Common Potoos also known as poor-me-ones is one of the seven species within the genus Nyctibius.
  • It can be easily identified with its large yellow eyes and comically wide mouth.
  • Common Potoos can grow upto 34–38 cm long and popular for their red-brown, white, black, and grey cryptic plumage.
  • It is also known as common potoo, grey potoo or lesser potoo that is mostly seen in the regions of tropical Central and South America from Nicaragua to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay.
  • The bird species can be easily camouflaged like a log and protect from predators. It can be only identified in the night with the help of light from its eyes.
Common Potoos
Common Potoos

Image Source: Don Henise

6.Snow Leopards

  • Snow Leopards can be seen in the small parts of Central and South Asia and prefers to thrive in cold and dry mountains at an altitude of 9800 to 17000 feet.
  • It can reach upto 6 to 7.5 feet in length and 77 to 120 pounds of weight. and also listed as one of the biggest cats in the world.
  • The apperance of snow Leopards consist of soft and thick, white, yellowish or grey fur with black dots and hence has one of the best animal patterns in the world.
  • It is active at dusk and dawn and prefers to eat wild goats and sheep and occasionally hares, rodents and birds.
  • The snow leopard cannot roar and it communicates with the help of hisses, growls and noisy chuffs.
  • The incubation period of snow leopards is 3 to 3.5 months and ends with 2 to 3 cubs.
  • The varage lifespan of snow leopards 21 years in captivity and in the wild is unknown.
  • Snow Leopards is one of the animals that are camouflaged perfectly with the rocky terrain that it is impossible to see it.
Snow leopard
Snow leopard

7.Idoloantis Diabolica – Devil’s Flower Mantis

  • Idoloantis Diabolica is a species of insects that belong to the praying mantises in the family Empusidae.
  • The family consist of single species known as Idolomantis diabolical which is also known as the devil’s flower mantis or giant devil’s flower mantis.
  • It is one of the largest species of praying mantises and also the largest that mimics flowers.
  • The head of the species has three components such as compound eyes, antennae, and mandibles. The compound eyes equipped with thousands of individual photoreceptor cells that will provide good eyesight. This photoreceptor will also help the species to capture a perceptual span of 180°. This will help him to identify prey and predators without increasing their vulnerability by spoiling their camouflage.
  • Antennae are long and thin bristles that will act as an insect’s sensory perception. The sensory perception centres. The male antennae are more developed compared to females and also helpful in detecting the pheromones released by the females. It will give an exact notification to males that the females are ready to reproduce.
  • Idoloantis Diabolica – Devil’s Flower Mantis is one of the best camouflaged animals in the world.
Idoloantis Diabolica
Idoloantis Diabolica

Image Source: Wikimedia

8.Pederson’s shrimp

  • Pederson’s shrimp also known as Ancylomenes Pederson is a species of cleaner shrimp.
  • The species was first described by Fenner A. Chace Jr. as Periclimenes Pederson.
  • It is mostly seen in the Caribbean Sea at a depth of 1 to 15 metres (3 to 49 ft). It is also seen in the reefs off Bermuda.
  • It is a transparent shrimp that can be identified with bluish and violet markings on the body and long white antennae and within its range is unlikely to be confused with other species.
  • Pederson’s shrimp uses a transparent camouflage that makes their bodies nearly see-through and invisible to predators.
Pederson's shrimp
Pederson’s shrimp

Image Source: Wikimedia

9.Bush Crickets

  • Bush Crickets also known as katydids(in Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the United States) belong to the insect family Tettigoniidae.
  • Initially, it is known as “long-horned grasshoppers” and more than 6,400 species are known.
  • There are numerous species of katydids that exhibit mimicry and camouflage that makes them similar to the colour of the leaves.
  • The Tettigoniidae family was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
  • It can grow upto 5 mm (0.20 in) to as large as 130 mm (5.1 in). The small size is also associated with faster development and lower nutritional needs.
  • The insect species are found on every continent except Antarctica.
  • Almost all of the katydid species live in the tropical regions of the world.
  • Bush crickets are one of the camouflaged animals that can range from yellow-green to deep leaf green.
Bush Crickets
Bush Crickets

10.Eyelash leaf-tailed gecko

  • Eyelash leaf-tailed gecko also known as Uroplatus phantasticus or satanic leaf-tailed gecko or the fantastic leaf-tailed gecko is a species of gecko that belongs to the island of Madagascar.
  • It was first described in 1888 by George Albert Boulenger where Uroplatus phantasticus has the smallest body of all the Uroplatus geckos.
  • The gecko species occurs in a variety of colors such as purple, orange, tan and yellow, but is often mottled brown with small black dots on the underside that help to distinguish it from similar species.
  • The gecko species is one of the Animals that are camouflaged mostly on natural camouflage in the northern and central tropical forests of Madagascar. Also, at night it helps the gecko hunt for prey by providing camouflage.
Eyelash leaf-tailed gecko
Eyelash leaf-tailed gecko

Image Source: Wikimedia

These are the best camouflaged animals in the world. Kindly share and do post your comments.