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Camouflage, also known as cryptic coloration, is a defense mechanism or tactic used to disguise your appearance and blend in with your surroundings.

You may have already seen footage of octopi and geckos employing it, but the list of those who can seemingly vanish into thin air is extensive and diverse.

To explore it, let's take a look at a subreddit called 'Find the Sniper.' According to its 'About' section, the online community welcomes pictures of everyone and everything that's sneaky enough to hide in plain sight.

So get out your magnifying glasses and start scrolling; it's like a mini detective game. But while you're at it, don't miss the chat we had on focus with an expert in attention training, Dr.Joseph Cardillio. You'll find it in between the images.

#1

A Snow Leopard In Its Natural Habitat At Spiti Valley, India Appears Flawlessly Camouflaged, Effortlessly Blending Into The Surrounding Environment

A Snow Leopard In Its Natural Habitat At Spiti Valley, India Appears Flawlessly Camouflaged, Effortlessly Blending Into The Surrounding Environment

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There are different types of camouflage in nature, and some animals use more than one.

A popular tactic is background matching. It could be something as simple as a fox’s white fur matching the color of the Arctic tundra, or as complex as a leaf insect mimicking the movements of an actual leaf.

Another tactic is disruptive coloration, when animals disguise their identification and location with color patterns. For example, the owl butterfly has what looks like owl eyes on its wings to make predators think they are staring at an owl's face instead of the backside of an innocent butterfly.

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#5

Liu Bolin Is A Chinese Visual Artist. Aka-The Invisible Man

Liu Bolin Is A Chinese Visual Artist. Aka-The Invisible Man

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There are two ways to "create" camouflage: with pigments and with physical structures.

Some animals, like octopuses, have biochromes, microscopic pigments that absorb and reflect light to change their actual color. 

Others, like polar bears, have physical structures in their hairs that work like prisms and scatter light of all colors, which we see as white.

#6

Find The Giraffe

Find The Giraffe

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Passerby
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Giraffe? What giraffe? I see nothing suspicious here.

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Even though we see these pictures (and the ones we featured in our first publication on 'Find the Sniper') more or less the same, I'm willing to bet that if you send them to your friends, the time it will take everyone to decipher them will vary.

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Dr. Joseph Cardillo told Bored Panda that multiple factors contribute to poor attention to detail, with the biggest one being low energy levels.

(However, keep in mind that if you end up on the opposite end of the spectrum and are jumpy or wired, it can also negatively affect your focus.)

#9

Find The Bear!

Find The Bear!

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Winter
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a children's book called Find Fergus which is exactly this. This bear is Fergus.

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#10

Attempted To Take A Photo Of Golden Eagle, But Couldn’t See It In The Camera. Spotted It Later. Can You See It?

Attempted To Take A Photo Of Golden Eagle, But Couldn’t See It In The Camera. Spotted It Later. Can You See It?

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Ace
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The scale makes it really difficult. Top, mid-right, if anyone's still struggling.

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#12

Almost Stepped On This Little Guy

Almost Stepped On This Little Guy

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According to Cardillo, author of The 12 Rules of Attention, each of the following triggers can impact us in milliseconds:

  • Your previous experiences (this is the way you've always reacted). They don't work so well if things are not pretty much the same or if something new and/or different occurs.
  • Automatic reactions. These spring out of old habits: you flip somebody off in traffic because they cut into your lane, or you roll your eyes when you don’t like what someone says, or you talk down to certain people and talk to others with respect, or say you agree with something when you really don’t.
  • Fear (if you’re afraid of snakes you might jump when you see a tree root).
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So we have to train ourselves out of these factors' influence if we want to perform a given task (in this case, 'spotting the sniper') well.

#14

One Of These Ducks Is A Sniper!

One Of These Ducks Is A Sniper!

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"Attention is the number one predictor of success," Cardillo explained to us. "It is connected to our daily performance in ways we suspect and [even in] some we may not."

To improve our attention to detail, first and foremost, Cardillo suggests balancing our energy.

"Balanced energy is defined as that sweet-spot between calm and alert," he said. "So if you were any 'calmer' you'd be too mellow. If you were any more energized, you'd be jumpy."

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#18

Find The Toast

Find The Toast

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Passerby
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What we see, or perhaps not see, here is a toast in the wild, camouflaging itself while waiting for a prey to come.

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There's a variety of ways to get there, such as putting on some tunes. "You can use music to help you achieve this mind state," Cardillo said.

To get started, he suggests making two playlists for yourself, a calming one and an activating one. For the first, choose something that is under 100 beats per minute (BPM). As a suggestion, Cardillo mentioned John Lennon's Imagine, which has a BPM of 78, but you can find even slower songs.

Then for your activating playlist, pick some tracks with BPMs over 100. For instance, The Cats Rock This Town clocks in at 207 BPM.

"So if your energy is low, play your activating playlist for 5-7 minutes. Hit repeat if you need it," Cardillo said. "If your energy is too high and you are anxious, play your calming playlist for 10-12 minutes. It takes longer to calm down."

But remember, the more you like the songs, the better they work!

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#19

Can Someone Please Help Me Find My Professional Hide-And-Seeker Niece?!

Can Someone Please Help Me Find My Professional Hide-And-Seeker Niece?!

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#20

Find The Cat

Find The Cat

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#21

Easy, Find The Moth

Easy, Find The Moth

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You can also use visualization. "Visualize yourself in the situation you want more attentional control over," Cardillo said. "Visualize the details you want to focus on. See yourself focusing on them."

"If it were a martial arts move, see yourself executing it perfectly when your opponent makes a very specific move. Then train yourself in this visualization repeatedly. This will create a 'habit' in your memory that will trigger in milliseconds in real life when the scenario arises."

#22

Find The Cat (Easy)

Find The Cat (Easy)

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Alexia
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11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every move you make, every step you take - I'll be watching you

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The key is to make yourself aware, which, according to Cardillo, increases the chance that you will act appropriately (as per your desire) when a certain situation manifests.

"For example, if you are aware that there is a hairpin turn coming up on the road you are driving on, you will more likely negotiate the turn appropriately. (Awareness makes your attention sticky, so as the hairpin turn comes up, you will focus on it [stick to it] longer, increasing your chances of taking it correctly)," he said.

#27

Spot The Real Dog V.2 . Don't Zoom

Spot The Real Dog V.2 . Don't Zoom

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Cardillo explained that mindfulness is about energy — you can be "present" and your mind can still be dull. So, consider mindfulness like the brightness of your cellphone screen. You can adjust it, making it brighter and brighter.

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If you manage to do it, chances are, you should be done with this list quicker rather than slower.

#29

Oh No! I Lost My Son In The Ball Pool. Can You Find Him?

Oh No! I Lost My Son In The Ball Pool. Can You Find Him?

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#30

Find The Man In Camo

Find The Man In Camo

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Tamara
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope, but after zooming in I spotted (is that correct?) Two lion cups, one buffalo, a bear, a snake and 15 walking sticks

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#32

Easy: Find The Turd (Kitten) That Won’t Stay Out Of The Christmas Tree

Easy: Find The Turd (Kitten) That Won’t Stay Out Of The Christmas Tree

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Multa Nocte
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How do they get so high? That would scare the living daylights out of me if I didn't know it was there and then it moved.

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#36

Couldn’t Find My Retainer After Putting It Down (It’s Not The One In The Case)

Couldn’t Find My Retainer After Putting It Down (It’s Not The One In The Case)

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#37

My Son Decided To Play "Find The Toddler" This Morning

My Son Decided To Play "Find The Toddler" This Morning

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Alexia
Community Member
11 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know about the toddler, but I found a cat. Does it count? :))

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#39

My Cat Likes To Ambush My Poor Toy Poodle. Where Is He

My Cat Likes To Ambush My Poor Toy Poodle. Where Is He

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#40

Find The Dachshund

Find The Dachshund

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#42

Find The Cat!

Find The Cat!

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Note: this post originally had 88 images. It’s been shortened to the top 42 images based on user votes.

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