CAMOUFLAGE

Some animals are protected by their body structures and appearances, which are extremely adaptable to their habitat. Camouflage features Allah bestowed upon those animals are so harmonious with their habitat that when you look at their pictures, you cannot tell whether they are plants or animals. Sometimes you cannot distinguish the animal from its surroundings. The camouflage is so effective that this is a specially designed and "created" defence mechanism.

Three butterflies camouflaged on tree trunks.

IS IT A DRY LEAF OR A BUTTERFLY? At first glance, perceived as a dry leaf, the picture (on the left) actually is of a butterfly. The leaf-like wings, which have many details on them - vessels to rotten parts and intonations of colour - provide an excellent protection for the butterflies. It is indeed impossible to overlook this incredible resemblance between the butterfly and the leaf (even the vessels and dried parts of the leaf are not omitted) and call it "chance". Is it not equally nonsense to accept that the butterfly made itself "leaf-like"?

The lives of grasshoppers that feed on leaves pass naturally among the leaves. Because the colour of their bodies resembles that of leaves, it is generally not possible for their greatest enemies, lizards and birds, to notice them. Thus, grasshoppers live and feed in safety. No one can claim that grasshoppers were transformed to "become like leaves" because they spent time besides leaves, or that they somehow turned themselves into leaves. It is clear that the leaf-eating grasshoppers were created along with such a camouflage so that they could survive.

The mantis is one of those insects that are created in harmony with their habitat. They conceal themselves sometimes on leaves, and sometimes on branches. The only weapon they have is the shape and colour of their bodies. In this way, they hide from their enemies.

This branch, which seems as if full with flowers, has only scores of caterpillars on it.

The snake on the left can camouflage itself perfectly on the forest floor covered with leaves. The colour of its skin provides it a great advantage during hunting as well as defence.

Green leaves and a green frog.

Another example of a creature with camouflage: two frogs having exactly the same skin colour as the pattern on the tree trunk.

It is quite difficult to distinguish snakes among the leaves.

The colour of the gazelle, which is the same as the pasture, is a great advantage for the animal.

Gobies appear no different from rocks covered with moss and plankton

It is hard to distinguish the Minnow fish among the pebbles even in a shallow pool.

Another example of a creature with camouflage.	The caterpilar seen above can easily hide away from its enemies owing to its perfect resemblance to the extension of a tree.	It is not so easy to distinguish the yellow spider, which has concealed itself in order to hunt flies, from the flower on which it lies.
		There is a caterpillar among the leaves.

A leaf louse resembling a spike.

On the picture above are four caterpillars among the branches.

ALTERNATING FUR COLOUR ACCORDING TO THE SEASON AND GROUND

The colours and patterns of the birds' feathers, birds that nest on the ground, provide them a perfect disguise among the leaves. The eggs of these birds have also the same kind of colours and pattern so that they too can go unnoticed. The characteristic common to the bird at the top and the rabbit at the bottom is that the colours of their feathers change according to the season. These animals put on pure white clothes in winter months whereas they take on a new look in the spring in accordance with the colour of the soil and vegetation. Changing colours according to habitat is realised through very complex mechanisms in the animals' bodies. These mechanisms, which can be said to resemble the tanning of human skin under the sun, cause colour changes in the coat and fur of the animals. Just as we cannot prevent our body from tanning or burning under the sun (except by utilising special methods of protection), the animals too have no control over the changes in their bodies. The important thing is that this feather change provides a great protection for the animal. Turning white on snowy winter days and ochre in other seasons, its feathers provide great camouflage for the animal. It could well have been the reverse; the animal could have been ochre in winter and pure white in summer, or it could never have changed colour. In short, there is an obvious wisdom and calculation in the alternation of the colours according to the seasons. The animal cannot estimate and control this. Certainly the One Who created the animal endowed it with such a protection.

THE PRIVILEGE OF RED The protection of some animals depends on the discouraging effect of red. For instance, in a moment of danger, the tree grasshopper shows the red on its back to its enemy, while crabs disclose the red colour in their pincers. The interesting thing is that the red part in the animal’s body is located in such a place that it is normally not seen yet can easily be disclosed in a moment of danger. This helps it create an "effect which is "shocking" to the attacker.

SEEMING MORE DREADFUL THAN THE ACTUAL In a moment of danger, the lizard in the picture swells itself and makes its body seem far greater than it really is. When it swells up, a mane emerging around its head makes it look even more terrifying.

FALSE EYES Another admirable and amazing method of defence is "false eyes". There are figures on the bodies of some animals that can be called "false eyes". The "false eyes" are so convincing that other animals that wish to hunt these animals cannot escape thinking that they face a much bigger animal. On the other hand, the animals possessing these "false eyes" enjoy the comfort of this trait of which they are not even aware. When some butterflies open their wings, we encounter a pair of eyes, with all their symmetry and detail. These eyes alone are more than sufficient to convince their enemies that what they face is not a butterfly. Particularly, the false faces of some butterfly species such as the Shonling butterfly, seen below, are so perfect with their shiny eyes, facial features, frowning eyebrows, mouth and nose that the overall picture is quite discouraging to most of its enemies. It is impossible to claim that this extraordinary picture emerged as the result of "an interesting coincidence". When the below picture is examined in detail, we understand that these facial features cannot have been formed by chance. Can coincidence make symmetry? Can coincidence form the same colours and designs in two different places? Certainly not. This claim is quite meaningless and unscientific. Could the butterfly possibly make this system on its own, thinking that it would be useful? The answer to that question is certainly "no". It is out of the question that a caterpillar with a life span of a few weeks could play on its own colours, designs, and make a drawing surpassing even that of artists, and use this for defence purposes. Like all other living things, Allah also created these beings with "false eyes". The owner of their flawless design is certainly Allah, the Sustainer of all the Worlds.

False organs work not only for frightening but also for escape. The tail part of the moth in the below picture has the look of a head with antennae. This shape causes attackers to head towards the tail of the moth, taking it for the head. The moth also misleads the attacker by turning its back. This target-confusing operation helps the moth gain time to escape. The same "false head" look is also seen in the butterfly above.

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This green caterpillar can protect itself from its enemy thanks to the false eyes on its tail. (left) The thornback ray fish swims into its nest and leaves its tail outside. On the tail is a pair of "eyes". Other fish around it do not dare to approach it as the false eyes in the tail make them think that it is awake.