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Camouflage is a means many animals utilize as an effective aid in survival. It works primarily because of the Gestalt laws of perceptual organization in which what one sees is not necessarily what is there. Our vision is fooled by a combination of sensory and mental images that fall into three categories: figure-ground, continuity, and coloration.
If coloration and patterns are very similar, it might be difficult to separate figure from ground. Thus, we tend not to be able to see the animal in its natural habitat, and focus instead on other objects in the environment. The principle of continuity is an important part of camouflage because it encourages us to perceive lines as continuing in a natural progression. When an animal blends into the background, continuity helps us to see the background lines and the shapes as continuing, often through the animal. A 'Walking stick' or an inchworm on a tree branch illustrates this. Many animals are colored in such a way as to make them easily blend into the background. If the animal were significantly different than the background of its habitat, then we could easily identify it. But the spotted fawn in the forest, the fish in the water, or the polar bear in the snow all blend in so well that it is difficult to detect them. Color is often very important in helping the animal hide in an environment. This aids animals in hiding until they are ready to attack their prey (Gotmak, 1987). Some animals can even change colors to blend in better with the environment. One example of this is the chameleon that can change from brown to green, depending on its surroundings. |
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