Across the Animal Kingdom, there are animals in nearly every color imaginable. Pets are often bred for specific colors because people like their appearance, but in nature, an animal’s colors can do much more than just look pretty: they can help them survive. Here are five examples how.
1. Camouflage Helps Animals Remain Disguised
Perhaps the most well-known use of animal coloration is camouflage––or disguising the animal’s appearance. Depending on the animal, camouflage can help them hide from predators, sneak up on prey, or both.
Because camouflage is such a common feature, most animals are colored to match their habitats. Desert animals are tan to blend in with the sand. Arctic animals are white to blend in with the snow, and some even turn brown in summer to blend in with the soil that is exposed when the snow melts. Forest animals are usually brown to blend in with the soil and tree trunks, but they aren’t solid brown. Instead, they have a mix of brown and gray hairs, creating a mottled appearance that breaks up their outline and blends in with the uneven coloration of their surroundings.
Patterns, such as spots and stripes, can serve a similar purpose. For example, certain animals such as leopards, giraffes, and fawns have spots to help them blend in with the patterns of light and shadow that form when sunlight shines through trees.
In the ocean, animals such as sharks, whales, and penguins use a type of camouflage called countershading. They have dark colored backs and pale bellies so that, to animals looking down, they blend in with the dark depths of the ocean, while to animals looking up, they blend in with the sunlight streaming through the surface. All these animals have a form of camouflage that works best for them.
2. Bright Colors and Patterns Help Attract Mates
While many animals are colored to blend in, some are colored to stand out. In many cases, animals with bright, flashy colors are colored that way to draw the attention of potential mates. This is especially common in birds, who often have extra-long or frilly feathers, loud songs, or flashy display rituals to go along with the bright colors. Generally, it is only the male birds that are colorful, giving them the task of showing off while the females decide whether their displays are successful. The females have duller colors because, for nesting mothers, camouflage is more important than showing off.
3. Colors Serve as a Warning to Predators
Another reason an animal might have bright, flashy colors is to warn predators to stay away. Animals that are poisonous (toxic if ingested) or venomous (having a toxic bite or sting) usually have bright colors and bold patterns. This ensures that predators who have a close call with these dangerous animals will easily recognize the species the next time they see it and avoid attacking in the first place. This technique is known as aposematism, or warning coloration.
Not all colorful warnings are legitimate. Some animals that are not poisonous or venomous have evolved to be colorful so predators will mistake them for their more dangerous cousins. This technique is called mimicry. A well-known example is the harmless scarlet kingsnake, which closely resembles the deadly coral snake. While it is possible to visually tell the two species apart, most predators don’t know the difference and avoid both snakes, giving the Kingsnake an extra layer of protection.
4. Colors Can Serve as a Distraction
Enemies and bosses in video games will often have a brightly colored “target” on their weak spot to show the player where to attack. Certain real animals have the exact opposite feature. They have bright colors only on the least vital part of their bodies to trick predators into attacking the wrong place.
One of the best examples of this is the five-lined skink, also known as the blue-tailed skink. Most of this lizard’s body is black or dark brown with five white or yellow stripes from which the species gets its name. However, as its other name indicates, the lizard’s tail is bright blue. If a predator falls for the trap and grabs the tail, the tail breaks off, allowing the lizard to escape. The lizard can survive without a tail, and the tail will soon grow back.
5. Changing Colors Indicates Temperature Changes
Perhaps the most popular animal that uses color for camouflage is the chameleon. However, chameleons’ colors are not just for camouflage. In fact, it is a myth that chameleons automatically change color to match their surroundings. Instead, chameleons’ color changes are triggered by temperature or even their mood.
Temperature-based color changes can help chameleons regulate their body temperature, since dark colors attract heat while light colors reflect it. Mood-based color changes help them communicate with other chameleons. Some other lizards, such as anoles, change color for similar reasons, but none have as wide a range of colors as chameleons.
