Page 24 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

Hiding in the open

S -  are very vulnerable when
feeding out in the open. They have few ways of defending
themselves from their many enemies. Camouflage-
resembling and blending in with the surroundings -
helps them to remain undetected as long as they stay still.
Predators, too, employ camouflage in order to sneak up
BUILTIN CAMOUFLAGE
unseen on their prey. Fur is well suited to this purpose. Algae (tiny plants) grow on the
Variations in length and color result in many different kinds coat of the slow-moving South
American two-toed sloth. Its
of shading and patterning (p. 20). long outer guard hairs (p. 20)
have grooves on them in which
the algae grow. When the
PEBBLE WITH WHISKERS sloth is still (which it often is)
Small rodents such as mice and voles are among the most vulnerable of all in the dim forest light it
mammals. Their main defenses are sharp senses and swiftness, or good merges with the foliage.
camouflage if stranded out in the open. This Arabian spiny mouse’s
fur blends with the dry sand, light-colored pebbles, and parched
wood of its semidesert home.

Dried wood

Light-coloured pebbles

Sand

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