If you’ve ever hid in a game of hide and seek, you know it’s important to stay quiet and out of sight. Just like hide and seek, many animals avoid predators by behaving in a certain way and hiding. This is called “crypsis.”

The way an animal looks is important in hiding from predators. The colors, shapes, and patterns on an animal’s body helps them blend into their surroundings. Brown creepers are a perfect example of this. Brown creepers are small birds with speckled brown backs. They find their food in trees, but are often preyed on while they forage. Luckily, the colors on their backs makes it almost impossible to see against the bark of a tree!

However, Brown creepers also have white bellies that can stand out against the tree. In order to stay hidden, when a predator is nearby, they will press themselves up against the side of the tree to hide their white feathers. This is an example of behavioral crypsis. The bird changes its behavior to help hide itself and stay safe. Brown creepers will also move very slowly or stay still in the presence of a predator, again to avoid being seen.

Katydids are another example of crypsis. These bugs have bodies that look just like the leaves of a plant. It’s a stunning example of the ability for insects to blend into their surroundings. The “walking leaf” is one katydid that also changes its behavior by moving slowly while waving its arms and legs. In this way, it mimics how a real leaf might blow and move back and forth in the wind.

Crypsis is everywhere in the animal world, you just have to know where to look!