To secure a spot in the beautiful yet brutal rainforest, one has to master special means of survival. Over the millennia, the local fauna has honed the arts of disguise and camouflage.
The praying mantis has a yellowish slender body which allows it to merge with fallen leaves and twigs. Its predators can't see it, nor can its prey. When an ant passes by the "fake twig," it becomes dinner for the praying mantis without knowing what happened.
The dead leaf butterfly and Hodgson's frogmouth also love to blend themselves into trees. By faithfully mimicking the leaves, the butterfly can hide on almost any plant without being noticed by predators. As to the master of disguise in birds, the Hodgson's frogmouth likes to pretend it is an extension of the tree.
There are other fantastic insects and birds in the rainforest that are masters of disguise and camouflage too: watch the ninth episode of the Asian Elephant Sanctuary Series: Art of Disguise to find out more!
About 'Journeys in Nature': Asian Elephant Sanctuary Series
In 2021, 16 Asian elephants left their habitat and embarked on a journey northward. Their unusual trip puzzled millions of viewers on the internet. Eventually, after a 17-month odyssey, the herd returned to their home. To find out what sparked this magnificent trek and get closer to this fascinating species, CGTN Nature traveled to Yunnan Province and discovered some interesting stories about these big guys. Stay tuned for the new series: Asian Elephant Sanctuary!
For more:
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Episode 1: Tracks in the rainforest
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Episode 2: Family always have your back!
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 3: Learning to swim can save your life
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 4: Freedom! Finally!
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 5: A frequent but unexpected guest
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 6: How big is the elephant dining hall?
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 7: Rainforest gardener
Asian Elephant Sanctuary Ep. 8: Great swinger in rainforest penthouse
(Cover image a video screenshot; video by CGTN Nature film crew)
(If you have specific expertise and want to contribute, or if you have a topic of interest that you'd like to share with us, please email us at nature@cgtn.com.)