Camouflage vs. Mimicry

The eggs of the cuckoo bird look like the eggs of other birds. A female cuckoo lays her eggs in the nests of these other birds. When the eggs hatch, the other mother bird is tricked into taking care of the young cuckoo.

The Spider-tailed Horned Viper is a tricky predator. The viper’s tail looks spider-legs. When a bird tries to catch the "spider", the snake catches the bird instead.

Sea dragons are famous for the way they can hide in seaweed.

A leaf-tailed gecko has adapted to blend directly into tree branches. It even looks like it has the same texture as tree bark, making it hard to see.

Katydids look like bright green tree leaves, protecting them from other predators.

The stripes on zebras help them hide from predators in the tall grass.

Birds love to eat caterpillars. But, the swallowtail caterpillar can puff up his head to look like the face of a snake to scare away birds and help it survive.

The stick insect looks like sticks or twigs and can easily hide in trees and bushes.

The owl butterfly has spots on his wings that look like the eyes of an owl. These "eyes" scare away birds and help the owl butterfly survive.

The skin of a leaf litter toad looks like brown, dead leaves so he can easily hide on the forest floor.

The Vietnamese mossy frog may be small, but it can hide from larger predators. It blends into the mossy jungle floor.

The monarch butterfly is poisonous. So, the viceroy butterfly has adapted to look just like the monarch to avoid being eaten.

The jaguar's patterned fur can help it blend in with branches and trees so it can better sneak up on its prey.

The rockfish spends most of its time hiding among the rocks. Its red coloring and rough texture help it hide.

The alligator snapping turtle sits in the water with its mouth open and wiggles his tongue to make it look like a worm. When a fish tries to eat the "worm", the turle catches the fish by surprise.

The octopus has the ability to blend in with the colors and textures of rocks and aquatic life in the ocean..

The chameleon can change its color to help it hide in different places.

The Western diamondback rattlesnake is a fearsome predator because it blends into the desert background.

On land, a sea turtle's shell makes it stand out. But underwater, this sea creature perfectly matches its habitat.

The coral snake is poisonous and other animals have learned to stay away. The scarlet king snake is not poisonous, but it looks like a coral snake so animals do not try to eat it either.

The screech owl's feathers look like the bark on a tree. This makes it easy for the owl to hide.

The tree ocelot is a type of wild cat that can make sounds like a baby monkey. This makes adult monkeys curious. When they get too close to the ocelot, he can catch and eat the monkeys.

The goldenrod crab spider has a bright yellow color that helps it match the flower and help it catch prey.

When this butterfly lands on top of red leaves or flowers, it is almost invisible.

A mountain hare's white coat makes it nearly invisible for predators to find in the snow.