adaptation camouflage definition
Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page. This page was last modified on 14 December 2006, at 02:10.This page has been accessed 40,748 times. What links here | Related changes | Permanent link. Evolution of Camouflage. The effectiveness of the praying mantis's disguise is all relative. As seen in this excerpt from Evolution: Darwin's Dangerous Idea, the camouflage that works so well atop a green leaf would render the mantis easy prey in a different setting. Biologist Chris Schneider describes this example of finely tuned adaptation. Tropical Rainforest Adaptations. In sharp contrast, the climate of the tropical rainforest is hot and wet. With over 80 inches of rain per year, as opposed to the desert's 10 inches or less, plants have adaptations that enable them to shed water efficiently. an animal or plant species that has very few of its kind left. In many cases, desert plants have no leaves at all. Photosynthesis, which normally occurs in green leaves, is carried out in the stems, which are themselves green with the pigment chlorophyll. Desert animals also have many adaptations as well to help them survive in the desert climate. Camouflage is also used by some predators as a tool for hunting. For them, being able to blend in with their environment gives them an element of surprise and increases their chance of successfully obtaining food. Definition of Camouflage in Animals. Many animals have evolved to exhibit some form of camouflage, which is an adaptation that allows animals to blend in with certain aspects of their environment. Camouflage increases an organism's chance of survival by hiding it from predators. When an insect happens to blend in with its environment, it's called camouflage. Like mimicry, camouflage can be protective, to avoid the attention of predators, or aggressive, to allay suspicion while the predator attacks its prey. In camouflage, the shape and outline of the animal merge with the background so it's not recognizable. Similar to camouflage is disguise, in which the entire insect looks like a specific object, like a leaf or a twig that predators overlook. Adaptations afford the organism a better chance to survive in its surroundings. Desert Adaptations. Deserts, where the environment is generally hot and extremely dry, provide many striking examples of how plants and animals are adapted to their surroundings. Plants have many adaptations to cope with the lack of water. Some desert plants, such as the barrel cactus, have expandable stems for storing water.
Many animals have evolved to exhibit some form of camouflage, which is an adaptation that allows animals to blend in with certain aspects of their environment.