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Bored Panda

Entertainment

Donata Ruzgaitė

50 Photos Of Accidental Camouflage That Made People Do A Double Take (New Pics)

BBC Earth Earth

The world is filled with pockets of beautiful and unexpected surprises. But some are so hidden that if you blink, you might miss them.

Luckily, there are loads of eagle-eyed people who bless the rest of us by snapping and sharing the captivating coincidences they witness around them. At first glance, you might not notice anything extraordinary in their photos. But look a little closer and something hidden in plain sight suddenly reveals itself.

We're talking about accidental camouflage. Unlike military gear, carefully crafted illusions, or even the natural hue of chameleons, these are completely unintentional. And that's exactly what makes them so special. Think of a cat blending perfectly into a carpet, or an object aligning so seamlessly with its background that it almost disappears.

Bored Panda has put together a list of the best examples of accidental camouflage captured by quick-thinking netizens. Some are quirky, others are awe-inspiring. Many might have you doing a double take. Grab your spectacles and keep scrolling. Let us know your favorites by hitting the upvote button.

We also explore the animal kingdom to seek out the masters of disguise lurking where many can't spot them. You'll find that fascinating info between the images.

#1 The Owl's Camouflage Ability

Image credits: ellendelaneycti

Many of us have been there. You're out and about, and suddenly you spot someone that you're really not in the mood to see or speak to. Imagine being able to blend seamlessly into the background, almost disappearing magically into thin air.

Unfortunately, humans weren't given that superpower. Unlike some lucky animals. Chameleons are famous for their camouflage behavior. But they're not the only masters of disguise on earth.

You may or may not know that owls are also really good at playing hide-and-seek. For one, their feathers look similar enough to the trees in their habitat for them to be successful at the camouflage game. And their big "ears" aren't there to help them hear better. According to BBC Earth, what appear to be ears aren't ears at all. Their real ears are tiny holes in the side of their heads.

"The 'ears' or 'horns' are actually tufts of feathers, there simply because they look like twigs when raised to help them to hide," explains the site. "Owls also change their shape to hide more effectively, which is called ‘concealment posture.’ They either squat or lift themselves up to be taller and skinnier to appear less recognisably owl-like, and even sway in the wind to mimic the branches of the tree."

#2 Golden Plover Chick, Camouflaged In The Mossy Arctic Tundra

Image credits: Camilo_Carneiro

#3 Badass Camouflage

Image credits: shotukan

Another master of disguise is a little scarier. The sidewinder rattlesnake lives on the desert sands of the US and Mexico. And if you aren't alert, you could step on one.

"As well as having a sandy brown body with elliptical markings which render it pretty much invisible against the rocks and detritus of the desert floor, it also shakes itself into the sand so that it's partially covered," explains BBC Earth. "The raised scales above its eyes shades it from the sun, and protects its eyes from the sand as it lays in wait for its victims."

If prey, like small rodents, come near it, the rattlesnake strikes. It injects the animal with venom, then follows the victim until it dies. Then, voilà! Dinner is served.

#4 Camouflage Level : Good Boi

Image credits: reddit.com

#5 V O I D Kitty

Image credits: ElMac65

#6 Trying To Find The Cat In This Picture. Enjoy

Image credits: Zarmortiz

On the cuter end of the spectrum is a master of disguise in the form of the arctic hare. During the summer, it looks like any other hare. But in the winter months, the magic happens. At this time of year, their coats turn brilliant white, making them almost invisible against snowy backgrounds.

They're excellent at evading enemies. Not only because of their camouflage but also due to the fact that their eyes are on the sides of their heads, allowing them to see nearly 360° without moving.

"Oh, as if all of that weren’t enough," adds BBC Earth, "They have thick black eyelashes which act as sunglasses, so they’ll almost certainly see you before you see them anyway."

#7 Pulling A Canoe With A Bike In A Snowstorm In Mid April. It Doesn't Get Any More Canadian Than This

Image credits: junkybutt

#8 Camouflage Shorts Working

Image credits: guillaume21

#9 He’s Pretty Good At Blending In

Image credits: AFeast

With all the predators in the ocean, it's no surprise that some marine animals use camouflage as a survival tactic. One of them is the decorator crab. As its name suggests, this crustacean literally decorates itself to avoid being eaten.

They use seaweed, coral and sponges to complete their makeovers. "Their shells are covered in tiny, velcro-like hairs so that when they select a suitable ornament, it stays stuck," explains BBC Earth. "Some of them are even more clever, deliberately adorning themselves with toxic seaweed, or stinging anemones, which don’t bother the crabs themselves but would make an unpleasant mouthful for anything that tried to eat them."

Once they’ve grown out of their existing shell, they remove all the decorations and reattach them to their new home. Clever and eco-conscious!

#10 Was Told I Should Post This Here... Picked Up This Little Guy And This Is Where He Chose To Lay

Image credits: _Geiger

#11 Dog Blending Into The Ground

Image credits: tmcin12

#12 It Was Really Nice That They Gave This Legless Man A Job

Image credits: accomplicated

Also playing hide-and-seek in the ocean are the pygmy seahorses. They're the world’s tiniest seahorses, at just a few centimeters tall (or short) from nose tip to tail. But this isn't what makes them so elusive.

Found in the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia, these little creatures sport bumps, which are actually calcified tubercles. They grow these to match the polyps of the coral that surrounds them. With their size and ability to camouflage into tropical coral reefs, they're not easy for predators to locate. They can even change color if they move to a coral of a different shade.

#13 Uroplatus Sikorae, Commonly Referred To As The Mossy Leaf-Tailed Gecko Or The Southern Flat-Tail Gecko, Is A Species Of Lizard In The Family Gekkonidae

Image credits: Charles J. Sharp

#14 Camouflage Bird

Image credits: LanGurke

#15 Thought My Dog Was With Me In The Bathroom, Then Walked Out To Look For Her

Image credits: damien_shallwenot

If you're not a lover of spiders, you probably won't like the next master of disguise very much. Found in Australia and parts of Oceania, the wrap-around spider does just that. "[It] has a concave belly that allows it to flatten itself around the curve of a tree and avoid being spotted by hungry birds," explains BBC Earth.

"Oval discs run across its abdomen, making it the perfect camouflage against branches," adds the site. "These oval discs give the spider a leopard skin-like appearance, which has given it the nickname 'leopard spider.'"

By day, the wrap-around spider chills out and hugs its tree. By night, it starts constructing an orb-shaped web and dines on whatever it happens to catch. In the morning, when the sun rises, it destroys the web and goes back to pretending to be part of the tree.