Friday, September 9, 2016

Mask of Wild Things


Today I’m going to talk about nature’s masks. And boy does she have a lot of them.

It is fascinating to me how an owl’s feathers blend into the bark of a tree, for example. This is good for the owl, but not because he’s hiding from 
predators, it’s because he’s hiding from his prey so it doesn’t see him coming. Most owls except for burrowing owls are apex predators. This means the species has no known enemies.


How interesting it is that some butter flies have giant dots on the tip of their wings to make predators think twice about eating them up. When the butterfly’s wings are spread these large eyes make the butterfly appear
bigger, surprising and scaring off predators.

Even water fowl, such as ducks, have the coloring to blend into their surroundings, protecting their selves from hunters from human to hawks and eagles.






Porcupines which have an awesome defense with sharp quills covering their bodies still have a mask from nature.








Killdeer a bird that makes its nest on the ground and lays her eggs in the nest on the ground are especially hard to see unless they are moving. The mask of feathers from Mother Nature helps them blend in to their 
surroundings.


Nature’s ultimate masked creature would have to be the chameleon. This member of the lizard family has the ability to adapt to its environment. They change their color for camouflage. They will also change color when under stress, mating, and different temperatures. 
So there you have it! Nature is awesome! And isn't it amazing that these creatures Know where to live, to hide so that they blend in?


What is one of your favorite creatures who blends in to its environment?

8 comments:

Trish Wilkinson said...

Great post! I'm always impressed with snow birds. Not only to they manage to survive cold winters, they blend beautifully with their white surroundings and are lovely against blue skies.

Lynn Lovegreen said...

Great post, Diana! My favorite creature who blends in with its environment is the ptarmigan, an Alaskan bird who changes its feather colors from brown in the summer to white in the winter.

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks for stopping by, Trish! I do like snow birds! And you're right about how beautiful they look against the blue sky.

Hi, Lynn! Wow, the ptamigan is the first bird I've heard of that changes its feather colors. Thanks for sharing.

Judith Ashley said...

There is an insect that looks like a twig, blends right into the branches on the tree. Maybe not a favorite but certainly a creature of nature who is hard to see. I've seen fawns blend into their surroundings so well it is hard to see them - unless an ear twitches or you look real hard - as in knowing it's there.

Thanks for the reminder that there are more masks around us than we may think about when out in nature.

Diana McCollum said...

Hi, Judith! I know the insect you mentioned, we always called it a stick bug. Nature is full of wonderful, interesting creatures!!

Anonymous said...

Blending in is definitely a survival mechanism. Loved the pics in this post. I recently saw a video of an insect that looked like a flower. You wouldn't know it was there until it moved. Unfortunately, it was one of many FBposts I see, so can't find it right now to share.

Great post, Dianna.

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks Maggie! I'd like to see the insect that looks like a flower. If you ever come across it please forward! thanks for stopping by.

Sarah Raplee said...

We watched the tv show Wild Things the other night, where the host was in Costa Rica looking for the elusive Ghost Frog. This frog can change colors like a chameleon!

Enjoyed your post! The pictures are awesome!