Transcript Missing Moths and Camouflage - ms-s-hall

Missing Moths and Camouflage
Camouflage
• Camouflage is an animal’s ability to blend into an
environment
• It can be used for defensive or offensive purposes
• Decide which picture below is defensive or
offensive camouflage.
Reasons for Defensive Camouflage
• A rabbit, other animal, or insect will use it to hide from predators.
• Examples include: the dead leaf butterfly whose wings look like a dead
leaf; the arctic fox who goes through seasonal fur changes to blend into
it’s environment for protection; and the cottontail rabbit who easily
blends into his surroundings.
Reasons for Offensive Camouflage
• Some animals or insects use it to hide from their
prey until they are close enough to attack.
• Examples of defensive camouflage include: a
cheetah or a lion
More examples of camouflage
• Can you find the animals or insects hiding?
Missing Moths (Peppered Moths)
• The large majority of the peppered
moth population before the Industrial
Revolution in England(around 1850)
were light colored.
• As a result of the many industries
burning fuel, local vegetation became
darker because of the air pollution.
• The population of the moths began to
change with the number of dark moths
increasing while the light colored
moths’ population decreased.
• Most recently, as industries try to use
cleaner fuels and cause less
population, the bark of trees began to
lighten again and the population of the
light colored moths began increasing.