Some animals have a super-power: they can be right in front of you and you still can't see them!
This trick is called camouflage. It helps animals hide from things that want to eat them — and helps hunters sneak up on their dinner.
In this lesson you will:
Tap Next to begin your camouflage adventure!
The most common trick is matching your surroundings. If your colour and pattern look like the leaves, sand, or bark around you, you seem to disappear.
A green grasshopper on green grass, or a brown moth on brown bark — both are hard to spot!
Your turn: There is a sneaky green gecko hiding in these leaves. Tap it when you spot it! 👀
Look closely — it blends right in!
A few clever animals can change colour to match wherever they are. The chameleon is the champion of this! It changes to stay hidden and to show its mood.
Help this chameleon hide. It is sitting on the orange branch. Tap the colour that will help it blend in best.
Which colour matches the orange branch?
Camouflage only works in the right spot. A white polar bear vanishes in snow — but would stick out on green grass!
Drag each animal to the background where it hides best.
Drag an animal onto a background. Match all three!
Some animals don't just blend in — they disguise themselves as an object!
Standing very still makes the disguise even better — a moving twig would give the game away!
Quick think: Why does a stick insect stay so still on a branch?
You don't need a jungle far away — clever hiders live right here:
You spotted it! Which of these best explains why camouflage helps an animal survive?
Next time you visit a park, stay still and look carefully — how many hidden animals can you find?
You learned how animals hide in plain sight. Here are the four tricks:
Camouflage is nature's game of hide-and-seek — and now you know its secrets. Keep your eyes sharp out there! 👀