Animal coloration is the general appearance of an animal resulting from the reflection or emission of light from its surfaces. The mechanisms for colour production in animals include pigments, chromatophores, structural coloration, and bioluminescence.
There are several separate reasons why animal coloration may evolve, including camouflage, enabling an animal to remain hidden from view, signalling to other animals, of the same or different species, diversion, physical protection, such as having pigments to protect against sunburn, and incidentally, such as having red blood because, as it happens, haem (needed to carry oxygen) is red. All of these can create striking natural patterns.
Animals use colour for signalling in several ways, including advertising, signalling services such as cleaning to animals of other species; in sexual selection, signalling sexual status to other members of the same species; warning, signalling to other animals not to attack; and mimicry, taking advantage of another species' warning coloration.
Animals use colour to divert attacks by startle, surprising a predator e.g. with eyespots or other flashes of colour, and by dazzle, confusing a predator's attack by moving a bold pattern (such as zebra stripes) rapidly.
Animal coloration is the general appearance of an animal resulting from the reflection or emission of light from its surfaces. The mechanisms for colour production in animals include pigments, chromatophores, structural coloration, and bioluminescence.
There are several separate reasons why animal coloration may evolve, including camouflage, enabling an animal to remain hidden from view, signalling to other animals, of the same or different species, diversion, physical protection, such as having pigments to protect against sunburn, and incidentally, such as having red blood because, as it happens, haem (needed to carry oxygen) is red. All of these can create striking natural patterns.
Animals use colour for signalling in several ways, including advertising, signalling services such as cleaning to animals of other species; in sexual selection, signalling sexual status to other members of the same species; warning, signalling to other animals not to attack; and mimicry, taking advantage of another species' warning coloration.
Animals use colour to divert attacks by startle, surprising a predator e.g. with eyespots or other flashes of colour, and by dazzle, confusing a predator's attack by moving a bold pattern (such as zebra stripes) rapidly.