iSpy
When a creature's color matches the color of their environment.
Blending
When a creature is able to change their appearance suddenly to blend in with their environment.
Adaptive Camouflage
This is when a herd of zebra confuse a cheetah because of the effect that the zebra patterns make when the zebras run together.
This is disruptive coloring
When a harmless creature copies the looks of a creature that is harmful to predators.
Mimicry
On my body I have yellow and black, most predators steer clear because of the weapons that I can use to sting you. What am I?
A bee, wasp, hornet
The ability for a creature to change their color once a year. This process can take up to 2 months. Why do certain creatures go through this change?
Creatures who rely on blending to survive are out of luck when the color of their environment changes. Their fur usually turns from a brown to a white, and this color change comes with a thicker coat to withstand the cold temperatures.
A cuttlefish blends in with ____ for the best protection
A) The environment it is in front of
B) The environment above
C) The environment belowC) The environment below
Cuttlefish hang out on the ocean floor, its natural predators swim above it. For the best protection, the cuttlefish wants to blend in with the sea floor, so predators above cannot see them.
How does disruptive coloring work?
The patterns confuse predators on the size and shape of their prey. Beyond that it can make it seem like their is no individual animal, as patterns make it hard to figure out where one animal ends and the next begins in the running herd.
The process where individuals who mimic harmful creatures within a population where not many have the same trait survive to pass on this advantageous trait to their offspring.
Natural Selection
You bite me and you die, I am
Poisonous
Why do some top predators blend in with their surroundings if they don't have to worry about being prey?
This is the pigment found in skin
Melanin
Describe 2 patterns animals use to confuse their predators
Spots and stripes
In theory, natural selection is a process of
Evolution
I bite you and you die, I am..
Venomous
I am prey, I use blending to hide from predators. What are some other things I could do to stay safe?
Multiple answers:
Find a hidden place to live
Stay away from areas where predators can easily see you (like a field)
Any other creative answers can be accepted by the instructor
These are the cells in the skin of creatures that have adaptive camouflage
Chromatophores
Do only prey have patterns? Name two predators that also have patterns on their bodies.
Cheetahs, tigers, leopards
Some creatures who are mimics do not mimic looking exactly like a harmful creature. Some creatures who mimic have a different feature to scare away predators. What do they mimic?
Some mimics have fake eyes on their body to make predators thinking they are looking at a much larger animal.
Examples of creatures who use this are butterflies, and tigers on the backs of their ears.
I am not poisonous or venomous, but I am brightly colored. What weapons could I have that would make me dangerous?
Sharp teeth, sharp claws, a stinger
I am a brown animal that relied on blending into by brown environment for protection from predators. Suddenly, climate around my environment changed, and everything went from brown to green. Overtime, some individuals in the population started to have genetic mutations and were born with greener coats. These animals survive predators and pass on these traits because they blend in to the environment better. What is this process called?
Natural selection
This is what happens for the chromatophores to control the amount of melanin they show on the surface of the skin
The cells expand and contract to control the melanin
Why do some predators have patterns on their bodies?
Some patterns help with camouflage, it makes it easier to sneak up on prey
Creatures who have bright colors are often overlooked by predators as a source of food. Why is this?
Predators have learned over thousands of years that brightly colored creatures do not make good meals. They have learned to stay away or become ill/die.
Why have bright colors been naturally selected to show that the creature is dangerous?
Bright colors are the easiest to see, therefore they are the easiest to avoid in nature.