Protective coloration

Protective coloration, adaptation of coloration by animals, often providing a means of defense against predators. Except where selection favors bright coloration for breeding or territorial display, most higher animals are colored in such a way that they blend in with their background: by pure coloration, by disruption of outline with bold lines or patches, or by a combination of the two. The most highly developed camouflage is found in ground-nesting birds, or insects. Associated with this coloration must be special behavior patterns enabling the animal to seek out the correct background for its camouflage and to “freeze” against it. Certain animals can change their body texture and coloration to match different backgrounds: octopuses, chameleons, and some flatfishes. An alternative strategy adopted by some animals, particularly insects, is the use of shock-coloration: when approached by a predator, these insects flick open plain wings to expose bright colors, often in the form of staring “eyes,” to scare the predator.