Animal Camouflage

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Did you see a leopard hidden in the tall grass above?

Fantastic! In this lesson you are going to learn all about camouflage!

• Why do you think animals need to blend in with their surroundings?

Share your ideas with your parent or teacher.

• Do you think that they blend in to hide?
• Why might it be important for animals to be able to hide in their natural environment?

Animals all over the world look very different from each other. One thing you will notice is that most animals have colored fur, scales, or skin that matches their environment

Think about a polar bear.

• What color is a polar bear?

That's right! Polar bears are white!

• How does their white fur help them blend in with their environment?
• Why isn't their fur brown like most bears?

Now share your thoughts with your parent or teacher.

• Did you say they are white so they can blend in with the snow?

Fantastic! Polar bears are white. Their white fur makes great camouflage in the snow. Their camouflage allows cubs to stay well hidden from potential predators while the adults hunt for food.

Animals need to blend in with their environment for different reasons.

• Why do you think predators need to have good camouflage skills?

Predators (hunters) need to be able to blend in with their surroundings so they can sneak up on their prey (food).

• Why do you think prey need to be able to blend in with their surroundings?

Did you say to stay hidden from predators? Fantastic! Animals need good camouflage to survive. Without camouflage, it would be hard to hunt prey effectively, and it would be hard to stay hidden from predators.

Some other great examples of animal camouflage are leaf insects and stick bugs!

• What do you think leaf insects look like?
• What about stick bugs?

Tell your parent or teacher.

You're right! Leaf insects look like tree leaves, and stick bugs look like sticks!

• Why do you think leaf insects and stick bugs camouflage with trees?

Did you say so they could stay hidden from predators? Great! Their excellent camouflage skills allow them to blend in with the trees and avoid being eaten by hungry predators.

• Can you spot the leaf insect in the top picture?
• What about the stick insect on the bottom?

When you find them, point them out to your parent or teacher.

Excellent work! Now you know why animals need camouflage. Move on to the next section to see some animal camouflage in action!