Cunning in the Rainforest Camo
To inspire awe of the planet’s extraordinary biodiversity, Nature and Culture is glad to share our monthly series: Strange Miracles of the Rainforest and Beyond.
Last time we featured four remarkable plants of the Amazon. Check out this month’s gift from nature.
“Miracle” #6: Masters of Disguise
Rainforests are home to a spectacular range of animal species. In nature’s never-ending battle for survival, animals are both the hunters and the hunted.
Over millions of years, animals have evolved ways to survive. A popular method is camouflage. The potoo is one creature that is particularly cunning in the rainforest camo.
Potoos are nocturnal birds found across the Amazon rainforest. Native to Central and South America, they are reliant on trees for perching and camouflage.
Masters of disguise, potoos spend their days still, with eyes half open, perched upon the stumps of broken branches. Their stump will be chosen wisely, as it will be the home of their single egg, whose incubating duties are shared by both the male and female parent in shifts.
Rather than fighting, potoos use camouflage to escape detection from predators. Since their coloring is often identical to the trees that they reside in, they’ll go motionless when a dangerous animal approaches. Some of them will even angle their beaks upwards to make themselves look like a protruding branch.
Spotting a potoo is no easy feat! The bird’s camouflage is extremely effective, especially when combined with their lifeless pose. However, the potoo reveals its presence with deep and eerie calls that carry for long distances. According to legend, the cry is the mournful lament of a spirit in love with the distant spirit of the moon.
Potoos cannot survive without trees to shelter and camouflage them. Though populations are currently stable, potoos are increasingly threatened by habitat destruction and deforestation.
You can protect the planet’s extraordinary biodiversity here.
The variety of life on the planet is our greatest treasure. Yet one million of the estimated eight million plant and animal species on Earth are at risk of extinction. Nature and Culture hopes that by sharing these 12 Strange Miracles you’ll be filled with wonder and gratitude for each species that enriches the planet. Stay tuned for next month’s feature!
