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Camouflage

Adapted from Wikipedia Β· Explorer experience

A flower flounder hiding among coral, showcasing its natural camouflage in the ocean.

What is Camouflage?

Camouflage is a clever way that animals, objects, and even people use to hide or blend in with their surroundings. It helps them stay safe by making it harder for others to see them. For example, a leopard looks like the trees and bushes around it, while a leaf-mimic katydid looks just like a leaf to stay safe.

The peacock flounder can change its pattern and colours to match its environment. This helps it hide from predators and stay safe in the ocean.

How Animals Use Camouflage

Many animals use camouflage to stay safe. Some animals change their colors to match where they live. Others look like leaves, twigs, or other objects to hide. This helps them stay safe from animals that might want to eat them.

For example, the octopus can change its color and shape to blend in with rocks, sand, or seaweed. This makes it very hard for other sea creatures to see the octopus.

Camouflage in Everyday Life

Camouflage isn’t just for animals. People use it in many ways too! Sometimes, tall buildings or towers are painted to look like trees so they fit better with nature. This helps them blend in.

Camouflage patterns are also popular in fashion. You might see them on clothes, bags, or even shoes. Artists and designers love using these patterns in their work, making camouflage a fun and creative idea.

Images

A Papuan Frogmouth perched near the Daintree River in Queensland, Australia.
A colorful octopus camouflaged among rocks in the waters of Kona, Hawaii.
Illustration showing how Swallowtailed Moth pupae change their appearance to blend in with different backgrounds, from a 1890 science book.
A beautiful painting from 1907 showing a peacock in a woodland setting by artist Abbott Handerson Thayer.
A beautiful Black-faced Sandgrouse bird in its natural habitat in Tanzania.
An adult and baby Egyptian Nightjar bird resting together in nature.
A bright green katydid hiding among the leaves of a basil plant in Chicago, Illinois.
A colorful Draco lizard from Bandipur National Park in India.

Related articles

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Camouflage, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.