A black-marble jawfish (Stalix histrio) camouflages itself against a mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus). According to LiveScience, the behavior of these jawfishes is unique:
“All jawfish are really specialized for living in burrows,” said researcher Luiz Rocha, an ichthyologist at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. “They’re almost never found outside their burrows.”
If it is difficult to find the fish in the image above, then perhaps it is easier to find in this video:
The video below shows David Attenborough with a superb lyrebird, which has the remarkable talent to mimic other bird species’ songs and sounds. Additionally, the lyrebird can mimic sounds made by the human species. The anthropogenic sounds that this lyrebird can mimic include a camera shutter, a camera with a motor drive, a car alarm, and even a chainsaw! Though, if I were the lyrebird, the sound of chainsaws nearby might be unnerving. The lyrebird is native to Australia, and there are two species—the superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) and Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti), which is supposedly less superb and rarer.
This video shows a superb lyrebird, at the Adelaide Zoo, that can mimic construction work.
In addition to being an accomplished mimic, the male lyrebird puts on an extraordinary display to attract a mate.
Although somewhat reminiscent of a pheasant or peacock, the lyrebird is not a precocial species but altricial (i.e., lyrebirds are large passerines), meaning that they’re less developed than precocial species (e.g., ducks, pheasants, or peacocks) when they hatch, so the chicks must be raised in a nest until they’re capable to leave the nest. Some bird species are superprecocial (e.g., black-headed ducks and moundbuilders or the megapodes, which leave the nest with flight feathers), meaning these species leave the nest even more able than precocial species. For example, an altricial hatchling (top) vs. some precocial ducklings (middle) vs. a superprecocial brush-turkey hatchling (bottom):
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Photo source for attribution here, here, here, and here. The authors or licensors of these images do not endorse my work or me and their images are protected under an attribution license.
Cephalopod intelligence is well documented, but in Indonesia, a species of octopus—the veined octopuses (Amphioctopus marginatus)—has discovered the utility of discarded coconut shells. This species of octopus uses these discarded coconut shells as shelters. Apparently, this is the first documented case of invertebrates using tools.
There are many interesting examples of mimicry in nature, such as leaf mimicry. To illustrate nature’s diversity and make a case for conservation, I have put together some fascinating examples of mimicry found in nature.
Bee and wasp mimics: Organisms that have adapted to look like or mimic bees and wasps (which are potentially harmful organisms) do so to evade predation. This type of defensive or protective mimicry is an example of Batesian mimicry. According to Wikipedia, Batesian mimicry is “a form of mimicry typified by a situation where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a common predator, [and] it is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, after his work in the rainforests of Brazil [Emphasis added].”
Ants as spiders and spiders as ants: Read more about ant mimicry here.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing: Ant spiders or ant-mimicking spiders use an aggressive form of mimicry to prey on ants. These ant spiders are fascinating, because they do not look like typical spiders.
Batesian mimicry in mammals: The less aggressive Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) mimicking the more aggressive striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). Can you identify or differentiate which species is which?
Nature is fascinating, and some of Nature’s best work—or evolution rather—is illustrated by animals that have evolved adapted to mimic leaves. Leaf mimics use an extraordinary type of camouflage to evade detection from predators or prey. These animals mimic leaves by using leaflike color patterns, modified exoskeletons, and cryptic behavior. You can see more fascinating examples of animal camouflagehere.
INVERTEBRATES AS LEAVES
The “dying” leaf-mimic katydid below is a fascinating creature, and evolution natural selection has endowed it with the ability to mimic a dying leaf.
“Dying” leaf-mimic katydid image was found here and here.
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Dead-leaf butterflies are extraordinary creatures to observe. The specimen below illustrates how adaptation through natural selection, which is a driving force of evolution, has helped the dead-leaf butterfly evolve to better evade predation by mimicking a dead leaf.
The images and videos below show various species of leaf- and stick-mimicking mantises, including a dead-leaf mantis (Deroplatys desiccata) and a violin mantis subadult (Gongylus gongylodes). The leaflike appearance of these mantises is extraordinary.
Phyllium giganteum image by Drägüs was found here.
VIDEOS of walking leaves:
From LiveScience: Ancient insects used advanced camouflage:
A fossil of a leaf-imitating insect from 47 million years ago bears a striking resemblance to the mimickers of today.
The discovery represents the first fossil of a leaf insect (Eophyllium messelensis), and also shows that leaf imitation is an ancient and successful evolutionary strategy that has been conserved over a relatively long period of time.
Undergrowth dead-leaf katydid (Orophus sp.), Barro Colorado Island, Panama
The images below show several small-leaf katydids (Pseudophyllinae) from Peru and the Peruvian Amazon. The last image in the series shows a dead-leaf katydid nymph, which is an immature specimen.
The image showing the undergrowth dead-leaf katydid (Orophus sp.) and the series of images showing the small-leaf katydids were taken by artour_a on Flickr.
This peacock katydid’s (Pterochroza ocellata) exceptional resemblance to a dead leaf is remarkable, but if its camouflage fails and a predator realizes it’s a potential meal, the peacock katydid has another trick — it will quickly flash a pair of false eyes, by opening its wings, to startle the predator.
The Uroplatus, a genus of gecko that’s endemic to Madagascar, are sometimes referred to as leaf-tailed geckos. The first image shows an individual hibernating during cooler Malagasy weather, and it uses its tail to mimic a leaf or to camouflage itself as it hibernates.
Photo source for attribution here and here Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) image found here
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The South American leaf fish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus) uses camouflage, mimicry, and stealth to hunt its prey. To capture its prey, it will patiently wait in the water column at an angle or sideways to mimic a dead leaf (note the individuals in the background).
The first image showing some leaf fishes in an aquarium was found here. The second leaf fish image was found here, and the third image was found here.
Video: The South American leaf fish uses its camouflage and stealth to hunt prey.
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This robust ghost pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus) mimics a blade of sea grass, and it rests at an angle similar to the South American leaf fish above. Ghost pipefishes are relatives of the seahorses and display some of the best camouflage found in nature. Much like the weedy and leafy sea dragons, ghost pipefishes are very ornate and showy. You can find more images of ghost pipefishes here.
A black-marble jawfish (Stalix histrio) camouflages itself against a mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus). According to LiveScience, the behavior of these jawfishes is unique:
