Page 50 - World of Animals - Issue #31

Seeing red

Now you see me,
now you don’t

The red frogfish might look as

though he’s boiling over with
rage, but in fact this species of
fish is cleverly camouflaging

itself against the coral reef. Next
to a piece of coral similar in
colour, it is near-impossible for
predators to spot. Frogfish also

have a retractable arm with a
lure on the tip which it uses to
entice their prey into the danger
zone. The fish’s mouth can open

up large enough to gobble its
prey in one gulp.

This young newt uses
its vibrant colour as its
personal bodyguard

Found commonly in eastern North
America, the red-spotted newt lives in small
bodies of freshwater, including ponds, small
lakes and ditches. During its infancy, the
young newt (otherwise known as an eft)
dons a bright orangey-reddish skin, with
red spots circled by black rings, as a way of
saying ‘I’m not tasty’. This gives it a better
chance of survival, and like other animals,
warns predators of its highly toxic skin.

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