The Animal Kingdom is extremely fascinating, given that not only can you find an infinite number of species with peculiar characteristics, but also because each of them brings with it truly intriguing adaptation and survival techniques. One of these is precisely mimicrya strategy that allows some animals or organisms to camouflage with the surrounding environment in order to protect themselves from possible predators.
Two different mimicry techniques: chromatic, behavioral and psychological
Being able to blend in with the environment for these animals was the result achieved after millions of years of evolution and natural selection. During the different seasons, mimicry turns out to be of particular help and importance for these living beings, given that they have to face very rapid environmental changes and significant to their lifestyle.
In winter, and especially in the mountains where the predominant color is the white of the snow, various animals change the color of their fur to be able to best camouflage themselves with the environment, and alpine hare is a great example of this. In fact, this animal usually has brown fur during the summer, which changes color during the winter, becoming white, so as to become practically invisible.
As for the behavioral adaptationssome animals, such as the moose, gather in groups during the winter and tend to remain still and silent in the woods and forests, so as to be able to camouflage themselves as much as possible among the branches and bare trunks.
Also chameleons they take on different camouflage behaviors based on the season, as well as obviously changing colour, given that this is the best-known example of this phenomenon. In fact, during the summer they try to camouflage themselves with the leaves of the more luxuriant vegetation by climbing on the branches and remaining in a more “suspended” position. During the winter, however, they flatten themselves on the bare trunks of the trees blend in with the barkobviously taking on a similar color to the tree itself.
Finally, one last interesting curiosity concerns the way in which these changes on a chromatic level are possible and this depends above all on gods hormonal and neuronal mechanisms. For example, in the Arctic hare everything depends on the melanin productionwhich in turn is related to the temperature present in the air and the length of the days: in fact, when the days get shorter and it becomes colder their body produces less melanin, allowing the fur to take on a white color
As far as behavioral adaptations are concerned, it is one instinctive response of animals which, based on their perception of the environment, vegetation, light and the different noises typical of each season, adopt these behaviors in order to protect themselves, feel safer and escape from predators.
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