Posted by:
Carlton
at Mon Jun 18 11:41:16 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Carlton ]
Actually, bright colors can break up the outline of a prey animal into patches or stripes that make them hard for a predator to pick out of a "busy" background of branches, leaves, and flowers which the Malagasy forests are full of. It is called "disruptive coloration" and is sort of the same idea as stripes on gazelles or spots on a giraffe. If the cham was a solid color regardless of the color, it would be much easier to see. This, and their talent for staying incredibly still, makes it hard to find even a bright-ly displaying male. Most predators' vision is geared to movement anyway. Bright colors also confuse predators, especially if they change while they are watching.
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