INTERSPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS

Interspecific interactions have shaped many other characteristics of animals. Camouflage occurs when an animal’s color patterns help hide the animal, or a developmental stage, from another animal. Cryptic coloration (L. crypticus, hidden) is a type of camouflage that occurs when an animal takes on color patterns in its environment to prevent the animal from being seen by other animals. Countershading is a kind of camouflage common in frog and toad eggs. These eggs are darkly pigmented on top and lightly pigmented on the bottom. When a bird or other predator views the eggs from above, the dark of the top side hides the eggs from detection against the darkness below. On the other hand, when fish view the eggs from below, the light undersurface blends with the bright air-water interface.
Some animals that protect themselves by being dangerous or distasteful to predators advertise their condition by conspicuous coloration. The sharply contrasting white stripe(s) of a skunk and bright colors of poisonous snakes give similar messages. These color patterns are examples of warning or aposematic coloration (Gr. apo, away from sematic, sign).
Resembling conspicuous animals may also be advantageous. Mimicry (L. mimus, to imitate) occurs when a species resembles one, or sometimes more than one, other species and gains protection by the resemblance.