Hide-and-Go-Seek: 7 Cool Critters That Have Mastered the Art of Camouflage

These creatures blend into the environment to evade predators or catch prey.

June 07, 2014 Kristina Bravo

Goldenrod Spider

Sure, the water spider can spend its entire life underwater, and the flic-flac can somersault through the desert. But this member of the crab spider family can change colors to catch prey. It switches from shades of yellow to white depending on the flower it lands on—usually a daisy or a goldenrod (hence its name). Goldenrod spiders have tiny jaws that contain venom, letting them take on much larger insects, which they grab with their front legs.

(Photo: Ken Brate/Getty Images)

Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Its piercing stare and devilish grin make this gecko one diabolical-looking reptile. Endemic to the forests of Madagascar, this smallest member of the leaf-tailed gecko family feeds on insects at night. Because of its ability to resemble dead leaves, it easily avoids those who want to eat it.

(Photo: Min Images-Frans Lanting/Getty Images)

Stick Insect

Also known as walking sticks, stick insects resemble the twigs where they live. Many of them play dead to elude predators, and some even shed a limb to break free from foes.

(Photo: Gary Buss/Getty Images)

White-Tailed Ptarmigan

This white-tailed ptarmigan’s snowy shade keeps it hidden from predators such as golden eagles and raptors. The only ptarmigan species that dwells south of Canada, it turns mottled gray brown, with white wings, underside, and tail, in the summer and changes to a reddish brown in the fall. Come winter, the ptarmigan is all white except for its eyes and bill. Even its legs and feet are feathered, to help the bird walk on snow.

(Photo: Donald M. Jones/Getty Images)

Chameleon

An exception to the rule, this famous color shifter doesn’t disguise itself against a background; it changes color to control its temperature or to communicate with other chameleons. A cold chameleon turns darker to absorb heat, while hot chameleons become pale to reflect sunlight. To express dominance, males become brighter, but they turn darker during aggressive confrontations. Females signal their willingness to mate through their skin color.

(Photo: Don Mason/Getty Images)

Pygmy Seahorse

Found in the Western Pacific, these miniature seahorses grow to only two centimeters long and match the coral where they live. According to Ocean Portal, the pygmy seahorse is so good at hiding that it wasn’t discovered until its home was being examined in a lab.

(Photo: Stephen Frink/Getty Images)

Owl Butterfly

Common to the rainforests of Central and South America, this butterfly has wings with large owl-like eyespots that deter avian predators; the wings can span between 5.5 and 6.25 inches. The owl butterfly mostly flies at dawn and dusk and feeds on rotting fruit.

(Photo: Damian Turski/Getty Images)

Hide-and-Go-Seek: 7 Cool Critters That Have Mastered the Art of Camouflage — Cute but Deadly: 6 Adorable Animals That Are Surprisingly Dangerous

Some animals are just so furry, sweet faced, or brightly colored that you want to reach out and touch them. Our advice? Resist the urge. Dangerous species often come in a cute package, but their smart and powerful defense mechanisms are reason enough to leave these adorable creatures where they belong: the wild.

Click through for animals that are more ferocious than they look—from the graceful swan to the puffer fish.

In nature, it’s eat or be eaten—and it’s not just about size. The ability to blend into the background gives these small but clever animals a leg up. From the satanic leaf-tailed gecko to the pygmy seahorse, click through for seven critters whose camouflage skills deserve a double take.

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Goldenrod Spider

Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Stick Insect

White-Tailed Ptarmigan

Chameleon

Pygmy Seahorse

Owl Butterfly

Cute but Deadly: 6 Adorable Animals That Are Surprisingly Dangerous