Page 25 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

LEAF WITH A TAIL Leaves are from a
Meadow voles live in a variety of places, from grassland to woods and deciduous woodland
streambanks. They forage on the ground, which is usually littered with
dark, dead, or dying leaves and other plant parts. Voles are very busy
animals, being active more or less around the clock, so visual
camouflage is very important. A vole alerted by the soft
wingbeat of a hunting bird might freeze in its tracks. In the
dim light of dawn or dusk, or in the dappled Dead leaves
shade under trees, it would be hard to
spot from above - as shown by
this owl’s-eye view.

Damp wood

HIDING FROM
THE ENEMY
Humans at war imitate
nature and camouflage
themselves, their vehicles,
and their weapons. Standard DISGUISING THE OUTLINE
combat clothes are “natural” The Malayan tapir’s striking coloration of
greens and browns, mottled white back and belly but black
and patched to break up the everything else is a fine example of
soldier’s outline in woods “disruptive coloration.” In the dark night-
and scrubland. Snow-country time forest the pattern breaks up the
outfits must be warm and tapir’s bulky body outline, making its
white, like the Arctic fox’s distinctive shape less recognizable to
winter coat (p. 29). predators. The young tapir is dappled
white, a similarly disruptive device.
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