Champions of Camouflage

New in paperback, an illustrated celebration of nature’s greatest imposters and tricksters which use biological magic to change shape and colour to escape predators or to surprise their prey.
A selection of nature’s greatest imposters, tricksters and magicians. Whether to escape predators or to surprise their prey, the talented strategists of nature in The Champions of Camouflage survive using visual trickery and fascinating biology. Some simply change their clothing to suit the seasons, such as the willow ptarmigan who appears pure white in winter snow and goldenbrown-red in the summer. Others, like the satanic leaf-tailed gecko who disguises itself amidst leaves to blend into its surroundings, are the same year-round but their appearance seamlessly blends them into the environment. grasshoppers of the genus Paraphidnia and the African mantis Popa spurca perfectly imitate the small branches of trees, becoming virtually invisible to predators and prey. Some species use incredible stratagems to get rid of their enemies; the frog Physalaemus, for example. When this amphibian is threatened, he turns his back to his opponent and shows his hindquarters on which is “painted” a pair of large black eyes. If the mask is not enough to intimidate the opponent, the fake eyes will emit an impressive “white secretion.” That usually does the trick. The book is organized by the manner of camouflage: The Art of Camouflage: Invisibility cloak; Seasonal clothes; Quick colours. Changing Shapes: Leaf imposters; Moving twigs; The watery art of disappearing; Deception. Game of Illusion: At the masquerade ball; In the eye of the beholder; Trojan Horse; Identity theft; Bait and switch.

Pages: 160

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.