Cryptic coloration

Coloration that reduces an organism’s detection or recognition by blending with its surroundings or disguising its form.

Background matching: Camouflage in which an organism’s colors and patterns resemble the visual features of its surroundings. It is the direct strategy of blending into a background.
Animal coloration: Color and pattern produced by animals through pigments, structural effects, or both. Cryptic coloration is one function of the broader range of animal colors.
Predator avoidance: Behaviors and traits that reduce the likelihood of being detected, captured, or eaten by predators. Concealment is a common defense against predators that search visually.
Peppered moth: A moth species whose light and dark forms differ in how well they match tree surfaces in polluted habitats. Its color forms provide a classic case of concealment shaped by changing backgrounds.
Disruptive coloration: Color patterns that break up an organism’s outline, making its shape harder to detect or recognize. Contrasting markings can conceal form even when their colors do not match the background.
Visual perception: The processes by which nervous systems interpret information from light reaching the eyes. Concealment succeeds only relative to the visual systems detecting the organism.
Ambush predation: A hunting strategy in which a predator waits concealed before attacking prey that approaches. Predators also use cryptic coloration to approach or wait for prey unnoticed.
Common cuttlefish: A marine cephalopod capable of rapidly changing its skin color and pattern. It adjusts its appearance to conceal itself against varied seafloor patterns.
Countershading: A pattern with a darker upper surface and a lighter underside that reduces the appearance of shading. This pattern can make a three-dimensional body look flatter and less conspicuous.
Color vision: The ability to distinguish wavelengths of light as different colors. A predator’s color vision determines which color differences camouflage can exploit.

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