I have to do a paper on color adapting animals and I was wondering if any of you people knew of animals that change colors to chamophlage into their environment. Obviously I know of the chameleon, but I was wondering if you know of other animals that do this. If you could give the scientific name, the name we call it, or both, I would greatly appreciate it.
2007-02-15 12:09:14 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Most cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopi) are able to change colour. This can be used as camouflage, to give visual warnings (like the warning colouration of the blue-ringed octopus to advertise its highly poisonous bite), to display the animal's mood (cephalopods are highly intelligent animals, as they need a large brain and well developed nervous system to be able to comtrol their colour), and for mating displays (the male california squid changes the colour of its tentacles to bright red durng mating).
Cephalopods also have very advanced eyes, and while we do not know if they can see in full colour or not, we do know that they can see different polarisations of light, which might help them choose the most suitable skin colour for the situation.
2007-02-15 13:22:38 · answer #1 · answered by Toutatis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A white arctic hare may blend in perfectly with a snowy winter environment, but when the snow melts in the summer, white suddenly isn’t so secretive! To deal with this, the hare sheds its white fur and grows a new brown coat—perfect for the rocks and patchy bare ground of an arctic summer.
Some reptiles, fish, amphibians, and other animals are experts in the art of the quick change. These animals have chromatophores, or color changing cells, in their skin that can contract or expand to make the animal change color.
The octopus can go even further—when it is camouflaged on a bumpy rock, it will change not only its color but also the texture of its skin, going from smooth to pebbly to better match the rock! When threatened, an octopus will quickly turn a whole series of different colors, from pink to tan to grey before it makes its escape in a cloud of ink.
2007-02-15 20:14:17 · answer #2 · answered by Misty Eyes 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My favorite example of a color-changing or diachromatic animal is the praying mantis. These little guys are so cool! They change from grass green to tree-bark brown, at least mine do. But there is one species in Brazil I've read about called the orchid mantis. They can become the most gorgeous shade of pink with little black flecks on them, just like the orchid they are blending into. and their body shape is similar to the shape of the orchids petals! And when they arn't hiding out on orchids looking for prey, they can go back to lime green.
2007-02-21 15:36:42 · answer #3 · answered by nmd061105 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best example of animals that changes colors to blend in with their environment are chameleons. One minute they're brightly colored but when threatened turn as brown as the log they are on or as green as the leaf underneath them. It is quite remarkable and keeps them from being eaten by predators. If you walked by them in the wilds of Madagascar you probably wouldn't even notice!
2007-02-17 23:05:07 · answer #4 · answered by wolffiegirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Octopi (plural of octopus) often change colors based on mood, but I don't know that it offers them all that much camoflauge. Humboldt squid (related to octopus) have an amazing bioluminescent light pattern--they can flash signals to each other in the deep ocean where they spend most of their time (it's AMAZING!)
Some fish, mainly bottom dwellers, are good at changing color to blend in. Like, flounder, groupers, stuff like that.
Hope that helps. I can't think of many right now.
2007-02-15 20:15:10 · answer #5 · answered by SlowClap 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The European turbot (Psetta maxima) is an example of a flatfish which can quite dramatically change colour according to its surroundings.
Comment to answerers: The plural of octopus is octopuses. The word octopus has a Greek root, not a Latin, which would correctly be pluralized with an -i.
2007-02-22 17:00:05 · answer #6 · answered by Marianne M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Octopus and Cuttle fish use chromatophores to rapidly change their skin color. It's amazing to watch and these colors also can be used to dictate temper - ie. warning signs and cues to mate..etc.
2007-02-15 20:18:12 · answer #7 · answered by cjH 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
animals that can do this are called diachromatic. Octopus can change their color to blend in with "chromatophores" which are pigment and light containing cells.
2007-02-15 21:17:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Snowshoe hare's fur changes white in the winter and back to brown in the spring.
2007-02-15 20:11:52 · answer #9 · answered by Beardog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Octopi, Ilanit Metzuya (a type of tree frog), blue-shelled fiddler crabs, some cuttlefish species, artic fox, nudibranches, flukes.
2007-02-16 13:30:39 · answer #10 · answered by zoogrl2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋