The ability to change color is the necessary requirement dictated by living conditions in the wild nature existence of many animal species on the planet depends on it. Some of them can change the coloring for several seconds, and others - for several months.
Instruction
1. For similar behavior there are several reasons. Some do it to frighten a predator, others - to merge with objects of a surrounding situation, the third use it for attraction of an individual of an opposite sex.
2. Some animals change the color seasonally. For example, the animals living in cold climatic zones often change in the winter the habitual color for white to merge with the snow. Many songbirds during the marriage period have a beautiful bright plumage which then is replaced by feathers of quieter shades. It occurs thanks to the pigmentary cages which are in skin of animals and birds.
3. The group of cephalopods is capable to change for only a few seconds the color several times. The mechanism of change of color is put in action by a condition of excitement or fear, as a result, there is a whole color palette extending on all body.
4. Some species of fish have an ability to change color also, amphibians and lizards a little more time, than, however, occupies this process cephalopods. Their change of color happens in the special pigmentary cages called chromatophores. Increase in the sizes of these cages forces a pigment to extend on all body, changing coloring of an animal.
5. Almost all caterpillars of butterflies are capable to merge with local plants, but very few people can be compared to a caterpillar baron or a butterfly from family nimfalid, living in the western Malaysia. Such perfect form and color of this caterpillar allow it to hide reliably from predators and the farmers who are growing up mango trees which leaves these larvae often eat.
6. The mossy listokhvosty gecko as if is covered with a moss, skin of this lizard living in forests of Madagascar so fancifully looks. There live these geckoes on trees therefore their coloring repeats color and the drawing of bark and a moss. Besides, they are capable to change the color depending on a surrounding background. This endangered species of lizards, it is connected, first of all, with loss of the habitat and the hunting which is carried out on them for the purpose of international trade in pets.
7. The color of a polar fox, white with a blue shade, does it almost imperceptible in the tundra. It, like the ghost, is capable to be dissolved in snowdrifts at a low temperature in the winter, and in the summer easily adapts to surrounding rocks and plants, having replaced the color with summer.
8. The most known among the animals changing the color is a chameleon. In general, scientists believe that this its ability is intended rather for communication. Some shades give a signal of change of mood, for example, about aggression or about desire to attract a female. Of course, this their ability contributed also to their preservation as look. Some species of chameleons are focused on certain predators. For example, the look which is found in South America is capable to merge with the earth to escape from birds, and with the sky to avoid attack of snakes. The secret of change of their coloring is concluded in cages - chromatophores which are under transparent skin of a chameleon.
9. Cuttlefishes built masking to absolutely new level. They are capable not only to change a coloring, but also to imitate structure of surrounding objects. Their skin, contains a huge number of the chromatophores changing color located on the cages reflecting light, besides, it has the tiny muscles capable to reproduce structure of rocks and reeves.