Animal defense vs predators

1. Animal Defense
against Predators

2. 1. Chemical Defense
 There are two main ways animals can use
chemicals to defend themselves.
 Animals can synthesize toxin using their
own metabolic processes, or they can
accumulate toxin from the food they eat.

3. 1. Chemical Defense
The poison dart
frog has
poison glands
scattered
all over its body.

4. 1. Chemical Defense
In another
example, the
fire salamander
makes a nerve
poison, which it
can squirt from
glands on its
back.

5. 1. Chemical Defense
The
bombardier beetle
may look innocent
enough, but it is
famous for being able
to spray boiling hot
and chemically toxic
bodily fluids in the
direction of any
would-be predator.

6. 1. Chemical Defense
potato beetle
babies (larvae)
cover
themselves in
their own poop
to avoid being
eaten

7. 1. Chemical Defense
The horned lizard
doesn’t use its horns to
defend itself, as you
might expect. Rather,
when attacked, it
pressures its own sinus
cavities until the blood
vessels in its eyes burst,
and it sprays its
attacker with blood
from its eyes.

8. 1. Chemical Defense
Skunks amazing musk can
be smelled miles away, their
vision is exceptionally weak,
and most skunks can only
see about 10 feet in front
of them. As a result, many
are run over – half of all
skunk deaths, in fact, are
due to humans. The skunk’s
anal musk is so powerful
that if sprayed directly,
the victim will experience
temporary blindness.

9. 2. Camouflage
Animals that camouflage
themselves pretend to
be something they are
not. Either their
coloration, marking
patterns, or entire body
resembles something else
in their environment,
here a leaf, an owl.

10. 2. Camouflage
Here an aptly named
walking stick
pretends to be a
twig, in an attempt
to avoid being seen
by a bird or other
predator. This is
an example of
cryptic coloration.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

11. 2. Camouflage
Other bears and human
poachers are the biggest
threats to the majestic
polar bear, but by
blending into the
blindingly white snow of
the Arctic with equally
white fur coats, some
danger can be avoided.
Only a polar bear's nose
and foot pads are
without fur.

12. 2. Camouflage
If you're ever swimming in the
shallow waters off Australia or
New Guinea, look for the ornate
wobbegong -- though you
probably won't be able to see
it! This shark's body flattens
out on the seafloor where its
spots and blotchy lines resemble
rock and coral. Wobbegongs
take camouflage a step further
with a little "beard" under their
chins that looks like seaweed.

13. 2. Camouflage
In this picture, a four-
eyed butterfly fish uses
deceptive markings.
The large spot near the
tail resembles an eye.
When predators attack
the wrong end, the
butterfly fish can swim
away in the other
direction!

14. 2. Camouflage
Some predators also depend on camouflage, but
this time it is in order to avoid being seen by their
prey.
Here, a frogfish resembles
a sponge. Small fish
swimming nearby will be
engulfed in the frogfish’s
enormous mouth!

15. 2. Camouflage
Can you find the
small shrimp hiding
among the stinging
tentacles of a sea
anemone

16. 2. Camouflage
Contrary to popular
belief, chameleons only
change color when in
imminent danger. Their
everyday skin color, a
light khaki, keeps them
hidden from enemies
during those not-so-
dangerous times.

17. 2. Camouflage
Whether their coats are
spotted or black these
elegant and deadly cats
are born with
fashionable camouflage.
Rabbits, young buffalo,
and monkeys don't stand
a chance when a hidden
leopard makes a surprise
attack.

18. 3. Actual Weapons

19. 3. Actual Weapons
The simple defense
system of turtles is
its shell. It’s so
effective as a
protector for the
turtles. Predators
cannot penetrate it,
and killer whales and
large sharks are the
only ones that are
brave enough to
attack turtles.

20. 3. Actual Weapons
Hedgehogs have spikes
that are enough to deter
predators. However, it
can also inflict a nasty
prick on its own babies
that’s why hedgehogs
have soft undersides
where its babies can
safely suckle.

21. 3. Actual Weapons
Flying fish can
leap up to a
meter clear of
the waves and
glide through the
air at speeds of
15 km/h on their
outstretched,
rigid fins, leaving
their pursuer
behind.

22. 3. Actual Weapons
Pufferfishes have the ability
to inflate themselves into a
balloon shape by swallowing
water. Their bodies are also
covered with thorny spikes,
which stand out on inflation,
providing a formidable defence
against attack. The organs
and fluids of pufferfishes are
also highly poisonous to
humans, if consumed, a small
amount can kill a person.

23. 3. Mimicry
In mimicry, an organism (the mimic) closely
resembles another organism (the model) in
order to deceive a third, (the operator). The
model and the mimic are not always closely
related, but both usually live in the same area.
This is similar to camouflage, but in mimicry
the model is generally a similar organism rather
than a static part of the background
environment.

24. 3. Mimicry
There are several types of mimicry.
The two most common types are
Batesian mimicry and
Mullerian mimicry.

25. 3. Mimicry
Batesian mimicry occurs when an edible mimic resembles an
unpalatable or poisonous model. In this type of mimicry,
only the mimic benefits.
An example of Batesian
mimicry is the scarlet king
snake, a non-poisonous
mimic of the extremely
venemous coral snake.
Above: scarlet king snake
Right: coral snake
John H. Tashjian
Photo courtesy of John H. Tashjian,
Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

26. 3. Mimicry
Another example of
Batesian mimicry is
the locust borer.
This insect not only
looks like a bee or
wasp, it sounds like
one, too!

27. 3. Mimicry
By contrast, Mullerian mimicry occurs
when two (or more) distasteful or
poisonous organisms resemble each other.
Both species benefit because a predator
who learns to avoid one species will most
likely avoid the other, too.

28. 3. Mimicry
The two invertebrates on the left are different
species
of sea slugs, while the one on the right is a marine
flatworm. All three secrete noxious substances and
are unpalatable. Notice their similar aposematic
coloring.