protective coloration - is a protective color and shape of the animals that make their owners invisible in their habitats.In fact, it kind of passive protection against natural predators.Protective coloration combined with a certain behavior of its owner.Typically, the animal is hidden in the background, which corresponds to its coloring, in addition, and it takes a certain posture.For example, many butterflies are arranged on the surface of the wood so that the spots on their wings coincided with spots on the bark, and the bittern, which nests in the reeds, in an emergency pull the body along the stems of plants.
role of passive protection of animal life
protective coloration is especially important to protect the body at an early stage of ontogenesis (larvae, eggs, chicks), as well as for adults, leading a sedentary mode of existence, or at rest (eg, sleep) forlong period.Furthermore it plays a major role in a rapidly changing environment.So many animals due to the ability to change color when switching to a different background.For example, the agama, flounder, chameleon.In temperate latitudes, many animals and birds are subject to seasonal change colors.
customary to distinguish between three types of protective coloration: camouflage, demonstration and mimicry.They all arise from the interaction of living beings in biogeocoenose due to certain environmental conditions.Protective coloration - is biocenotic adaptation, worked out as a result of the dual evolution of predator and prey.In addition to patronizing, yet there are warning coloration, attracting and dissecting.
protective coloration
As mentioned above, the protective coloration of animals is always similar to the environment in which they live.For example, desert lizards and snakes have yellow-gray coloring to match the vegetation and soil, and the inhabitants of the area has snow white feathers and fur.This masking of animals allows them to remain invisible to enemies.It may be in some way similar to the inhabitants of a completely different nature zones.For example, a praying mantis, or grasshoppers, lizards and frogs living in the grassy cover the middle zone, characteristic green color.It prevails in insects, reptiles, amphibians and even some species of birds of tropical forests.Often protective coloration may include drawing.For example, butterflies have lentochnitsy on the wings of a variety of decorative strips, specks and lines.When they sit on a tree, completely merge with a picture of its bark.Another important element is the effect of protective coloration antishade - is when the illuminated side of the animal has a darker color than the one that is in the shade.This principle is observed in fish living in the upper water layers.
Seasonal coloring
For example, consider the inhabitants of the tundra.So, partridges and foxes in the summer have a brown color in the color of vegetation, rocks and lichen, and in winter it becomes white.Also, the inhabitants of the middle band, such as foxes, weasels, hares, stoats, twice a year, change the color of the hair.Seasonal coloring exists in insects.For example, with folded wings listovidka remarkably similar to the leaf of a tree.In summer it is green, and in the fall becomes brownish-yellow.
deters coloring
Animals with bright colors, well marked, they are often kept open in case of danger does not lurk.They do not need to be careful, because often they are toxic or inedible.Their coloring warning signals to all others - do not touch.Most often, it involves various combinations of colors: red, black, yellow, white.As an example, a number of insects: wasps, bees, hornets, ladybugs, caterpillars of swallowtail, and so on. Etc .;and animals dart frogs, salamanders.For example, slime dart frogs are so poisonous that its use for the treatment of arrowheads.One such boom can kill a large leopard.
What is mimicry?
Let's look at what is meant by the term.Mimicry of animals - this similarity defenseless species species is well protected.Such a phenomenon in nature was first detected in South American butterflies, as in flocks gilikonid (inedible to birds) were seen Belyanko that were very similar in color, size, shape and manner on the first flight.This phenomenon is widespread among insects (butterflies sesiidae disguised as hornets, flies sifidy by wasps and bees), fish and snakes.Well, we have considered that such mimicry now deal with the concept of form, dismembering and changing the coloring.
protective form
There are many animals in which the body shape is similar to the various objects of the environment.Such properties rescue them from their enemies, especially if combined with a form of protective coloration.There are many species of caterpillars, which can extend at an angle to the branch of a tree and die, in which case they become like a twig or a twig.The similarity with the plants is widespread in tropical species of insects: praying mantis devil, cicada Adelunga, tsiklopera, akridoksena and so on. D. With the help of the body can be masked clown sea or horse-picker.
dismembers painting
Colour of many representatives of the animal world is a combination of stripes and spots that do not meet the form of the owner, but the tone and ornaments merge with the surrounding background.Such coloring matter how dissects an animal, hence its name.As an example, a giraffe or a zebra.They were spotted and striped figure almost invisible among the African savannah vegetation, especially at dusk when hunting out the king of beasts.Big thanks to the masking effect of dismembering coloring can be observed in some amphibians.For example, the body of a South African toad Bufo superciliaris visually divided into two parts, as a result of this it loses its shape.Many species of snakes are also dismembers coloring, it makes them invisible against the background of fallen leaves and colorful vegetation.In addition, this kind of masking actively using residents of the underwater world and insects.
changes color
This property makes the animals hardly noticeable when changing situation.There are many fish that can change its color by changing the background.For example, flounder, talassoma, pipefish, horses, dogs and so on. D. Can change color and lizards, most vividly manifested in wood chameleon.Additionally, changes color in case of danger mollusk octopus, it can also be cleverly disguised as primers in any color, and the most cunning repeating pattern seabed.Masterfully managed with his coloring various crustaceans, amphibians, insects and spiders.
