The Stick Caterpillar Is Peak Natural Camouflage
The caterpillar of the peppered moth has one of the most impressive natural camouflages in the animal world. Not only do they look like lifeless twigs, but they can also change color to match their background. Over the past 17 years, we’ve featured some of the world’s most incredible camouflages. From caterpillars that position themselves […]
This Fascinating Bird Looks Like a Feathered Dragon
What do you get if you mix a bird, a squirrel and a lizard? Well, I think you’ll have a tough time finding a better answer than the Great Eared Nightjar. Seeing a great eared nightjar for the first time, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a squirrel or even a lizard. The fact […]
Perfectly-Camouflaged Moth Looks Like a Twig Fragment
Tsumaki Shachihoko is a rare Japanese moth that features impressive natural camouflage which allows it to perfectly mimic small twigs in order to avoid predators. We’ve always found natural camouflage fascinating here at Oddity Central, and simply searching the term in our search box will yield over a dozen amazing examples of natural mimics. Today […]
This Caterpillar’s Camouflage Is On a Another Level
The Common Baron Caterpillar is a true master of camouflage. When it positions itself perfectly on a mango tree leaf, it is nearly impossible to spot, even if you know it’s there. Some animals naturally develop camouflage in order to make themselves harder to spot by predators, but some are much better than others, and […]
This Spider Masquerades as a Fallen Leaf to Avoid Predators
Poltys mouhoti, aka the Rolled-up Leaf Spider, is a fascinating arachnid that uses incredible camouflage to protect itself from predators during the day. Native to Vietnam, but also spotted in other Asian countries like Cambodia, Thailand or Malaysia, the aptly-named rolled-up leaf spider is part of the Poltys genus of spiders, which numbers 43 known […]
This Mossy Twig Is Actually a Moth Larva in Disguise
A wildlife photographer recently captured one of nature’s most extraordinary camouflage masters on camera – a moth larva that looks like a mossy twig on a moss-covered tree. Over they years we’ve featured a bunch of natural camouflage artists on Oddity Central, from the butterfly that looks like a dead leaf, or the moth with […]
Tiny Assassin Bug Wears the Bodies of Its Victims as Camouflage
The assassin bug is a fascinating insect for many reasons, but the one that really stands out is its gruesome camouflage, which consists of the carcasses of its victims glued to its back. There are around 7,000 known species of assassin bugs in the world, ranging from 4 to 40 mm in length and sharing […]
Spot the Not: Body-Painting Artist Blends Nude Models in Various Landscapes
German body-painting artist Jörg Düsterwald is a master of camouflage, taking nude female models and using body paint to conceal them in various environments. Looking at one of Jörg Düsterwald’s signature camouflage pieces is like trying to solve a Where’s Wally’s puzzle, with some of the models blending so well into the background that you […]
This Dead Leaf Is a Perfectly Camouflaged Butterfly
Kallima inachus, a species of nymphalid butterfly found in India and Japan, is known as the orange oakleaf or dead leaf butterfly for a very good reason – with its wings closed, this butterfly closely resembles a dried tree leaf. It’s been said that the kallima inachus butterfly mimics a dead leaf better than an […]
This Asian Moth Is Probably Nature’s Ultimate Camouflage Master
We’ve seen plants and insects posing as something else entirely in order to confuse their natural predators, but Macrocilix maia, a moth native to Southeastern Asia, takes mimicry to a whole new level by literally painting an entire scene on its wings. Looking at a Macrocilix maia moth, it’s impossible to ignore the scene painted […]
The Bunny Harvestman – A Tiny Arachnid Shaped Like a Dog’s Head
Looking at these incredible photos, you’d be forgiven for thinking that they’ve been edited to make the body of a spider look like a black dog’s head, but this is what the tiny Bunny Harvestman actually looks like. Independent scientist Andreas Kay took these incredible photographs of a Bunny Harvestman in the Amazonian forests of […]
This Boulder Is Actually a Cozy Cabin in the Swiss Alps
It’s hard to believe that this rock sitting so casually on a boulder-strewn slope in the Swiss Alps is actually fake. In reality, it houses a cozy wooden cabin for one, complete with a bed, fold-out table, stool, fireplace, and a window! The only feature giving the boulder’s secret away is the odd square window […]
Return of the Invisible Man – New Stunning Camouflage Works by Liu Bolin
Liu Bolin, the man who took the international art world by storm, in 2009, with his incredible ability to merge with the environment, has returned with a new series that makes him even harder to spot. Nicknamed the “Invisible Man”, Liu Bolin is a master of camouflage art who spends up to 10 hours blending […]
Australian Artist Takes Camouflage to a Whole New Level
Adelaide-based artist Emma Hack, 39, creates incredible works of art where she paints male and female models and makes them blend into complex background images. If you’re one of the 300 million people who watched Gotye’s video for the international hit “Somebody That I Used to Know“, then you’re probably already a fan of Emma […]
Desiree Palmen – The Real Life Invisible Woman
You’ve probably already seen photos of Liu Bolin – the real life invisible man, now it’s time you met Desiree Palmen, the invisible woman. Just like the famous Chinese artist we’ve featured before, Desiree Palmen is a master of the camouflage who manages to perfectly blend into the background. She first takes photos of the […]