Hide or Hunt
I’ve always been fascinated by animals. When I was a child, I’d insist on visiting the zoos in the different countries we’ve traveled to (I know, spoiled brat). And now that I’m older, I still enjoy a trip to the zoo, but I mostly watch the animals from the comfort of my home, in front of the television (I know, couch potato. Ha!).
Animals are a fascinating lot. In Darwin’s theory of natural selection (and eventually of evolution), he believes that each species will continue to morph slightly in the fight for survival. This strong instinct for survival can be found in all of us, be it humans or animals. But while humans fight for survival with our intelligence and tools, animals fight with their “natural” skills. Besides their sharp teeth, tough hides and even the speed of flight, they are also very good at camouflaging themselves! And this perfect camouflage will determine whether they are the hunter or the prey.
(Photo thanks to wwarby)
Did you know for example why zebras have stripes? Firstly it is to blend with the tall grass around it (don’t worry, the lions are colour blind, so it doesn’t matter that the stripes are black and white). Secondly, when you have a whole herd of striped zebras hanging around the same spot, it’s hard to differentiate one from another.
Many of us also know that Steve Irwin (famous host of an animal television show) died from a stingray attack. But how many of you know that stingrays are actually not aggressive, but would rather bury themselves in the sand to hide from predators?
If you are interested to know more about the different animals in the world, feel free to pay a visit to the zoology category on Answers.
See you there!
