this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2023
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Reptiles and Amphibians
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Interesting!
Around this time there are a lot of Great crested grebes swimming in the lakes and canals with their young. Their young are also very differently colored than the adults. They are actually white with black stripes, which is the same color palette than this baby frog!
(Images by Corine Bliek, shared under a creative commons license, source 1, source 2)
I bet it's great camouflage against eagles and owls looking for a meal. I just read that they can live up to 20 years in the wild and they eat pretty much anything. They also almost went extinct in Europe in the past due to them being over hunted for their crests to be used in women's hats.
Thanks for those cute pics!
I find the "disruptive coloration" camouflage to be interesting. Since I am not really the type of predator that these patterns are designed for, when I see them it is not so obvious to me that they are effective. Like zebras, these birds, or fire salamanders - I look at them and they seem very noticeable. But I guess these are optical illusions that work best against their predators when they are being chased.
Oooh. "Disruptive coloration" sounds like a fun thread or community to create!
Those nestlings are likely not getting chased since eagles and owls hunt from a high vantage point or while flying. The nestlings spotted pattern helps them blend in with their surroundings/foliage.