Camouflage techniques of reptiles
 (above) In the case of this leopard gecko from Pakistan, only the upper body imitates the substratum upon which it might be detected. The abdomen is almost entirely white, because the small reptile is always careful not to reveal that particular part of its body29. |
Camouflage techniques of reptiles
What does a reptile do to protect itself against its predators in the wild? One of the easiest ways for these slow-moving creatures is definitely to conceal themselves. The bestmethod of hiding is adaptation ofthe creature's body to its habitat. Colours and patterns usually serve as a lifesaver for many animals. For example, in the forest it is almost impossible to distinguish a Rhino Viper, a kind of tropical snake living in the rainforests of Africa, due to its skin being covered with blue, red, yellow, black and white geometric patterns. Interestingly, the colours of the snake match the surroundings in which it lives. This one-to-one relationship evokes some questions in the mind. How did these colours, which harmonise with the environment so well, emerge? Is it possible for this to have happened by chance, or to have been produced by the reptile itself?
Certainly, it is not possible at all. It is impossible for a reptile first to analyse its environment, then to decide what kind of changes it needs to make in itself, and finally to determine a colour and pattern. Furthermore, it is totally illogical and unreasonable to claim that it might have set up a system in its body to carry out the chemical reactions that are necessary for such a change.
Even man, the only living being endowed with reason on earth, cannot change the colour of any part of his body. He cannot establish a system in his body to bring about such a change. In this case, there is only one explanation for the perfect resemblance of the colour of the reptile to the colour of its surroundings to such an extent that even the shades do not differ. An infinitely superior possessor of wisdom has designed this living creature. This design belongs to Allah, the Almighty. Allah is He Who knows best the needs of every living being.
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| It is almost impossible to distinguish the snake species that inhabits the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica from the tree on which it rests. | The Australian leaf gecko usually lives near trees, and closely resembles bark. It rarely displays its pale abdomen. Even the lizard'seyes are well camouflaged. |
The Most Famous Camouflaging Reptile: the Chameleon
Have you ever seen a chameleon changing its colour according to its surroundings? This is indeed something worth seeing. The chameleon has such an exceptional ability to camouflage itself that its deftness astonishes everyone. Although many other reptile species have the ability to change their colours, none of them is capable of doing it as rapidly as chameleons.
The chameleon uses red and yellow colour carriers, blue and white reflector layers and most importantly "chromatophores", skin cells that respond to variations in heat, light and the animal's mood.30 If you put a chameleon in a very yellow setting, for example, you would see that the colour of its body instantly turns yellow and adapts to its surroundings. What's more, chameleons adapt not only to a single colour, but also to multicoloured substrata. The secret of their achievement is the colour cells, lying under the skin of this master of camouflage, which magnify and swiftly change place to adapt to the environment. Could a chameleon make such a perfect adaptation on its own? How do these creatures indistinguishably blend in with the environments in which they live, while even the most skilful artist has to work for hours to obtain the equivalent of a single natural colour?
It would surely be unreasonable to claim that a chameleon could perform such an act of its own volition. It is certainly not possible for a reptile to determine the appearance of its body, nor to place a system in its body to change its appearance. It would be just as nonsensical to claim that this creature has control over all the cells and atoms in its body, that it is capable of making whatever change it wishes on them and produce the required pigments. It is totally inconsistent and meaningless to claim that such an exceptional ability has come into being by chance. No mechanism in nature has the power of producing such perfect skill and granting it to the being that needs it. Just as all other living beings on earth, Allah also created chameleons. Allah demonstrates to us the uniqueness of His artistry in creation with these examples. Allah is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. The kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. He gives life and causes to die. He has power over all things. (Surat al-Hadid: 1-2)
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| Chameleons are one of the best self-camouflaging animals. As seen in the photographs above, the cool shadow of a fern leaves a temporary imprint on the warm skin of the chameleon. |
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These snow
grouse
are examples of how camouflage can change according to
season. |
Colour Change According to the Environment
Do living creatures only make use of colour to protect themselves against their enemies? Definitely not. Some animals protect themselves also from cold and heat by means of enzymes giving colour to the hairs covering their bodies. In animals that live in cold regions, the hairs covering the tip of the legs, ear and nose, which are the most sensitive parts of the body, are dark coloured. Dark coloured hairs provide more heat energy for animals thus helping them to warm easier, just like humans who try to benefit from the sun better by wearing dark coloured clothes in winter. Colour change is very common in land animals. For example, in summer, the fur of the northern fox turns white, because their body temperature is high. In winters, however, as it becomes colder, their body temperature drops and a more suitable environment for the enzymes to work easily is provided. For this reason, in winters, the fur of the northern fox darkens. Rabbits, foxes, weasels, and polecats living in northern latitudes turn brown in summer and white in winter.
While some birds become completely white in winter months, they take on a new appearance in spring matching the colour of the ground and vegetation.
Warning Colours
Living creatures make use of colour for varied purposes. Using it as a mean of warning is one of these purposes. In the following pages, we will give some examples of this.
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One
of the most threatening frogs is the "poison arrow" frog.
This small
amphibian of the Dendrobates species has a poison known as
"batracotoxin"
within its skin, which is believed by some to be the
strongest known
poison in the animal kingdom. The frog's name is derived
from the
use made of it by certain Amazonian tribes. It is so
poisonous that
the Indians used it on the tip of their arrows while
hunting.32
The colour of the animal helps other animals to recognise
that it
is poisonous. |
The members of the Sinanceidea species are fish with relatively small and compact bodies. They have no scales, and instead their skins are covered with wart-like protuberances, which perfectly camouflage the fish as they rest upon the seabed waiting for prey. These protuberances break up the outline of the body, which thus come to resemble rocks. Often these fish camouflage themselves even more by burrowing into the sand.33 |
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In South America, there are many poisonous and non-poisonous snakes that share the same vivid coloration. They are all covered with yellow, red, and black rings. They are all called coral snakes. Some of them, the true coral snakes, are deadly. Others, which are called "false corals", only imitate the poisonous ones. The actual arrangement of the coloured bands distinguishes one from the other. The false coral snakes benefit from this similarity and are protected from their enemies.34 |
| A papilionida extends its red, antenna-like osmeterium, an organ that some butterfly caterpillars release when they hear the enemy approaching. The movement of this brightly coloured extension frightens small birds.35 |  |
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| The fulgoridae are a species of often brightly coloured large homoptera that live in the tropics. Their heads extend out in the form of a hollow "horn". The species of fulgoridae has a horn-like growth on its head that imitates the open mouth (complete with teeth) of a crocodile. (Big picture) It is believed that the function of these horn-like extensions may also relate to courtship. The camouflage of the fulgoridae in repose as seen in the smaller picture resembles the bark of a tree. When disturbed, it opens its wings to reveal two large "eyes". This surprises its enemies and gives the animal the chance to run away.36 |
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| A male frigate-bird in the Galapagos Islands inflates the scarlet pouch beneath its bill to attract a female. The males often gather in groups upon the mangrove, where they will later build their nests, and engage in this behaviour so that the females flying overhead can choose their partners. The scarlet colour of the pouch contrasts sharply with the black feathers on the upper part of the bird's body, which have a metallic sheen.38 |
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29. Marco
Ferrari, Colors
for Survival, Barnes and Noble Books, New York, 1992, p.86-87
30. International
Wildlife, September-October
1992, p.34
31. Jill Bailey, Mimicry and Camouflage, BLA
Publishing
Ltd., England, 1988, p.18
32. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes
and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.109
33. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes
and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.64
34. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes
and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.130
35. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes
and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.129
36. Marco Ferrari, Colors for Survival, Barnes
and Noble
Books, New York, 1992, p.126
37. David Attenborough, The Trials of Life,
Princeton
University Press, New Jersey p.235
38. Marco
Ferrari, Colors
for Survival, Barnes and Noble Books, New York, 1992, p.109
