Some of the world's strangest creatures
are those that have mastered the art of deception.
Animals use color, pattern and shape
to disappear, distract prey,
and to confuse would-be killers.
Their artistry is varied and complex,
and it can mean the difference between life and death.
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One of the most remarkable adaptations
that help animals stay alive is known as active camouflage.
It's the ability to rapidly adopt the colors
and patterns of an animal's surroundings.
Cephalopods like cuttlefish and octopuses can change colors
to become nearly invisible in the blink of an eye.
Imagine what it would be like
to freely move around one's domain,
able to escape detection.
Effortlessly changing color to blend into the scenery
if necessary.
It seems like magic.
But it's not.
Cuttlefish set the standard
when it comes to active camouflage.
The so-called "chameleon of the sea"
has tiny cells embedded in its skin
called chromatophores.
Triggered by its nervous system,
these electrified cells expand and contract,
changing the color
and the brightness of the animal,
and reflecting the colors of the ocean
that it can't create itself.
With skin that shimmers like a mirage,
this hypnotic color-changing camouflage
is a marvel of the underwater world.
Its natural cloaking device
is designed for one deadly reason:
to attack unsuspecting prey.
Octopuses have a smaller range of hues than cuttlefish,
but they're amazing color-shifters
in their own right.
Living in the waters around Indonesia,
the Mimic octopus sinks down into the sand,
taking on the mottled pattern of the sea floor.
But the mimic octopus's real strength
is another form of masquerade.
Not only does it adopt the colors of its surroundings,
it can adopt the shape of another animal's body.
When traveling or foraging,
the mimic octopus swims about with its arms tucked in,
mimicking the form of a poisonous flatfish.
It's a brilliant defensive posture -
predators might not attack the octopus
if they think it's a deadly proposition.
It's not the first, or only, sea creature
to be able to imitate others.
But what makes the mimic octopus one of a kind
is that it can mimic several different species.
Scientists aren't sure exactly
how many alter egos the octopus has,
but they do know that all the animals it mimics
have something in common: they're dangerous.
This mimic octopus wants predators
to believe it's a toxic jellyfish.
The way it floats down from the ocean's surface
through the water column,
with its trailing arms resembling tentacles,
sends a message to potential attackers.
Stay away!
Here, the mimic octopus hides 6 of its 8 arms in the sand,
and narrows its body to imitate a highly venomous sea snake.
While its disguise is unlikely to fool us,
in a predator's eyes
the two animals are almost indistinguishable.
This remarkable behavior
allows the otherwise defenseless mimic octopus
to evade some hostile attacks.
Nobody knows for sure exactly how the mimic octopus pulls off
imitating some of the world's deadliest marine creatures.
But the ability to identify its predators
and shape-shift in response reinforces the belief
that octopuses possess extraordinary intelligence.
With its flexible body, changeable skin,
and constant exposure to dangerous predators,
the mimic octopus has evolved
into a master of disguise.
Changing body shape or color in an instant
is not the only way to be a mimic.
Some animals don't need to change to blend in,
they simply do.
This decorated warbonnet fish blends in brilliantly,
using its coral-like appearance as a way to hide from predators.
And there are many more examples on dry land.
This dead leaf mantis uses its namesake appearance
as a way to ambush prey.
Prey or predator, the goal of mimicry is the same:
look like something you're not.
Some of the best examples of this type of trickery
can be found in the insect world.
Leaf insects, members of the Phylliidae family,
are specialists at mimicking all kinds of foliage.
They're herbivores,
so their disguise is to prevent themselves from being attacked.
They come in a lot of different shapes,
sizes and colors.
This one's hoping that predators will think it's a dead leaf.
It even rocks gently from side to side,
pretending to sway in the breeze.
Other species of leaf insects imitate living foliage
to outfox their enemies.
But it's nature's attention to detail
that sets these creatures apart.
Brown spots and leaf-like veins
make these insects more believable replicas
of the leaves they spend most of their lives on.
Some of the 50 different species of leaf insect
even have markings and holes,
so they resemble leaves with damage or disease.
Another creature
with the amazing ability to seemingly disappear
is the stick insect.
These well-known members of the Phasmida family
can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
Some stick insects have evolved moss, lichens
or bark-like coverings to augment their disguise.
They can be extremely difficult to see,
even when you're looking for them.
Stick insects can enhance
the effectiveness of their camouflage
by entering what is called a "cataleptic state."
This locking of the leg-joints allows them to stay motionless
in a trance-like stupor.
It's a safety precaution.
If a stick insect falls off its perch
and lands on the ground,
it can remain there for hours playing dead
until it's safe to move.
One of the deadliest of all the ambush killers
is seemingly delicate as a flower.
The brightly-colored orchid mantis.
About the size of a lipstick,
it has evolved to look like the pink and white flowers
found in its natural habitat in Southeast Asia.
Its flattened and heart-shaped legs
exquisitely mimic the flower's petals.
Exotic and otherworldly,
it's no wonder early civilizations
thought the mantis had supernatural powers.
But the orchid mantis is also a stone cold killer.
Its beauty masks its true intent:
getting a decent meal.
Researchers call this type of concealment aggressive mimicry.
By resembling something harmless and attractive,
the orchid mantis can draw its prey to it.
Pollinators like bees, flies, and moths
are lured by the promise of nectar.
A small black spot on the mantis' abdomen
resembles a fly,
and further tricks flying insects
into believing that an easy meal is within reach.
But really, these incoming insects are the easy meal.
Changing color or shape to look like something else,
or being born looking like one's surroundings
are powerful means of deception.
A much more unexpected means of blending in
is called "disruptive colouration."
This type of camouflage relies on high contrast colors, tones,
or markings to draw attention away
from the outline of an animal's body...
not unlike military camouflage.
Though high contrast patches are themselves conspicuous,
they actually help an animal disappear
against certain backgrounds.
Predators will have a hard time picking out
where the prey starts and the background ends.
Peacock soles are masters at creating visual confusion.
Almost defenseless, soles take a big risk
lying on the ocean floor in the open.
But their odd-shaped spots and contrasting colors
make them surprisingly hard to see.
It's only when these two soles decide to change position
that their outline and overall shape is revealed.
Moments later one of them lays still
and magically blends back in.
These peacock soles have disruptive patterns,
but their textured skin
also helps them match their background.
This camouflage strategy works in all kinds of environments.
A cheetah with its bold, black spots
would seem to have little chance of hiding itself
on a wide-open savannah.
But the spots actually help disguise the stealthy predator.
That's because the strong contrast
between its spots and body color
distorts the outline of its body.
Up close it's easier to see the cheetah,
but by then it's too late for its prey.
The distinctive pattern and color of giraffes
is not evolved to camouflage the adults.
The animal's size and ability
to defend itself with powerful kicks
means it has few predators and doesn't need to hide.
But giraffe calves are relatively defenseless.
Researchers think that the brown patches and white borders
disrupt the outline of a young giraffe's body
and can help it hide from predators.
The tawny frogmouth may be one of nature's best examples
when it comes to avoiding detection.
This large-headed bird, often confused with an owl,
lives in eucalyptus
and acacia forests across Australia,
and parts of Papua New Guinea.
It's famous for exhibiting a behavior called "stumping."
Its preferred perch makes it indistinguishable
from a tree stump.
The frogmouth is nocturnal.
During the day it rests on low-hanging tree branches,
hoping not to be seen.
But not any old branch will do.
The frogmouth prefers one that is rotten or broken.
The damaged branch means
the frogmouth can sit on the stump,
angling its body and beak
to follow the natural form of the tree.
By extending its body,
the frogmouth is mimicking the branch.
From there,
it lets its perfectly evolved plumage do the work.
Its mottled brown and grey feathers
resemble tree bark, both in appearance
and the patterns they create on its body.
And the contrast of colors on its back, breast and face
breaks the outline of its body
against the bird's chosen background.
The frogmouth narrows its eyes
to complete the disappearing act.
The frogmouth,
so named because of its enormous gaping mouth,
will often stay completely still until dusk,
when it forages for food.
Despite being a weak flyer,
it has excellent eyesight and hearing,
and hunts insects while on the wing.
It can latch onto its prey with its powerful claws.
The frogmouth also has tufts of stiff feathers
called rictal bristles at the base of its beak.
The bristles complete the frogmouth's camouflage
by helping to obscure its mouth.
It's thought that these bristles also help direct prey away
from its eyes and toward its gaping mouth.
Through impressive camouflage
and its ability to sit still for hours on end,
the frogmouth transforms itself into a living branch.
Its entire body and defining features
are an extension of the tree it lives in.
Such is the power of disruptive colouration.
The tawny frogmouth and the peacock sole
are some of the world's best at using disruptive colouration
to stay hidden from predators.
In many cases, animals try to deceive prey
and deter predators using multiple strategies.
The vibrant stripes of this clownfish
are considered a disruptive pattern,
and make its body shape inexact.
But it uses yet another kind of visual tactic
when it seeks protection among anemones.
It seems counter-intuitive
but, rather than trying to blend in,
the clownfish's bright colors are an advertisement,
a warning to predators:
come near and risk being stung
by the venomous anemone's tentacles.
This is a novel approach to deception,
where animals stand out rather than blend in.
It's called aposematic coloration,
also known as warning coloration.
Using bright colors as a visual statement,
their goal is to stand out like a flashing red light.
It's a message to potential predators
that they are poisonous, venomous, foul-tasting
or at the very least unpalatable.
And the strategy is highly effective.
Some of the most common aposematic vertebrates
are poison dart tree frogs.
There are more than 300 species
living in the lush tropical rainforests
of Central and South America.
These brightly-colored amphibians,
no bigger than the size of your middle finger,
come in a range of vivid, high-contrast, hues.
Generally speaking the following rule applies:
the brighter the color, the more toxic the frog.
If predators ingest this poison, they can expect the worst:
seizures, numbness, excruciating pain,
paralysis and death.
Predators that attack a brightly-colored frog
and don't actually die,
quickly learn to avoid similar-looking ones.
Unlike its dart frog cousin,
the red-eyed tree frog isn't poisonous.
But it has a strategy to fool predators.
The frog is normally camouflaged in the lush green canopy
of the Central American rainforest.
But it's hiding something.
If approached,
it will suddenly open its huge red eyes,
hoping to startle birds or snakes
and make them second-guess their choice of prey.
If this doesn't work and the attack continues,
the tree frog assaults its enemy's senses
with a color bomb!
The frog exposes the full extent of its body,
revealing blue sides and orange feet,
which are otherwise hidden.
The false color warning might confuse its predator,
just long enough to make a getaway.
In general, animals deploying warning coloration
use colors or patterns
that emphasize, rather than disrupt, their outline.
They want to be seen, they want to stand out!
That might not be immediately obvious with the bearded ghoul.
It's an ambush hunter,
and will bury itself in the sand
beneath shallow tropical marine waters,
where it waits for its prey to swim by.
However, if it's disturbed or chased out of its lair,
the bearded ghoul can put on an intimidating display
for potential predators.
Its red and white skin signals its intense toxicity
and its fierce spikes add to the preemptive warning.
Running along its back is a rack of venomous spines
that can painfully wound all that come near.
It's one of the most toxic fish in the ocean -
both to predators,
and any unlucky humans that might step on it.
If seen, this is a color warning
that predators definitely shouldn't ignore.
These vivid warning colors
are an effective deterrent for many animals,
but for some
a simple black and white approach
is all that's required.
More commonly encountered by humans, and their pets,
is the skunk.
Its white stripes lead a predator's gaze to its rear end,
and represents a truck-sized warning
about the animal's noxious smell.
Any animal that gets too close risks getting sprayed.
At worst, a skunk's victims
will experience a burning or stinging sensation
in their nostrils or on their skin.
But the horrendous stench sends a clear message
to would-be predators:
back off.
I taste as bad as I smell.
The classic example of warning coloration
is the coral snake.
Its alternating red, yellow and black bands
are a clarion call to predators
that this animal is armed and dangerous.
The danger in this case is toxic venom
that will completely incapacitate hawks, owls
and even other snakes.
This defense is so effective
that many other snakes have evolved
to mimic the colors of the coral snake.
There are twenty mimics of the vibrant species
in Central America alone!
One of them is the scarlet king snake.
The order of its colors are different
from the coral snake's,
but only the most discerning of predators would know.
The scarlet king snake
is using what's known as Batesian mimicry.
That's when a harmless species
copies the appearance of a dangerous animal.
This copycat has no fangs, stingers, spines,
or toxic chemistry of its own.
But the scarlet king snake is totally dependent
on its resemblance to the creature
that actually does possess these weapons.
There's even an old North American boy scout saying
that distinguishes between the coral snake
and the scarlet king snake:
"Red against yellow: kill a fellow.
Red against black: friend to Jack."
These strange creatures
all have ingenious ways of deceiving their prey.
From blending in with the scenery,
to standing out in a crowd,
the pressure to stay alive has led to a wide range
of complex and spectacular adaptations.
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