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50 Things That Matched Their Surroundings So Well, They Made People Do A Double Take (New Pics)
If you think that you’ll ever encounter camouflage on the battlefield or deep in the jungle, you might not be quite right. There are plenty of optical illusions far closer to home. And they don’t require ghillie suits. All it takes is the right angle and lighting, and an animal, object, or person can blend right into their surroundings with near perfection.
Our team here at Bored Panda has traveled to the farthest reaches of the internet to compile this list of fantastic photos of accidental camouflage. They’re bound to make you do a double-take! Grab your binoculars, scroll down, and make sure to upvote your fave pics.
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I Painted At My Favorite Stream Today. I Think It Blends In Pretty Well
Mother With A Calf
A Cat That Plays Too Many Stealth Games
The entire point of camouflage as a whole is to confuse the senses. People tend to rely very heavily on vision, so camouflage aims to hide someone or something with the help of fabric, paint, and patterns.
What colors and patterns end up being used on uniforms will depend a lot on the local terrain. For instance, shades of brown and yellow might be used in the desert, compared to browns and greens in wooded locales. Meanwhile, black, grey, and white will often be found on camo gear meant for snowy areas.
My Brother Was Joking About How He Dresses Like A 5-Year-Old. Then He Found This
The kid's one should donate one pocket to the big one (my dad only buys shirts if they have a breast pocket).
I Didn't Think I'd Actually Lose In A Hide A Seek Game With My Nephew. Told Him To Pose For A Pic
Blessed Persian Carpet
It’s not just people that use camouflage. It’s an integral part of survival in the animal kingdom. Broadly speaking, there are three main categories of camouflage. The first one is called background matching, where animals have colors and patterns that match their surroundings.
This Is Aspen. She’s Visiting A Friend’s House For Dinner, But After Seeing The Rug She Thinks It’s Time To Leave. 13/10 Would Start The Car
Just A Mat, Nothing More
Imagine at dusk and the floof are lying there, you will tread really carefully!
Load More Replies...omg he/she looks like my dog!! he's white, and i have a floofy white rug, and he blends in lmao
Wow, I really had to look twice! First I thought it was an impression of where he had been resting
My Shirt Perfectly Camouflages Me In This Bed Of Flowers
With background matching, animals are harder for predators to spot. That means that they survive longer and can end up passing their genes down more effectively because they have more time to breed. Chameleons, for instance, are legendary for their ability to change their color to match their surroundings.
My Handsome Boy Using Camouflage At The Vet
I'm Waiting To Bloom
Had No Idea My Wife Was Partly Dog
The second type of camo is known as disruptive coloration. It’s a tad sneakier. Essentially, it breaks up the outline of the animal’s body, making it more difficult for predators to home in on them.
One example of this would be how stripes work on a zebra’s fur. Some animals, however, go the route of mimicry, where they imitate another animal or an inanimate object. Stick insects, (obviously) look like sticks.
Guy Learning To Snowboard
Almost Sat On My Dog Accidentally
Strangely Satisfying
However, nobody should think that camouflage somehow perfectly defends a person or an animal. That would be a huge mistake to make. It’s far better than nothing, but predators have evolved ways to spot their prey better.
Some animals might be able to see into different spectrums, for example. Meanwhile, leaps and bounds in technology mean that people are constantly finding new ways to find what others try to hide.
This Levitating Dirt Bike
A Snowy Owl And An Owl Made Of Snow
A Very Hairy Wedding Dress
Some predators have camouflage of their own to make sneaking easier and their hunts more successful. Tigers blend in with the tall grass thanks to their stripes. Octopuses change their texture and color to match their surroundings, avoid predators, and hunt their prey.
Meanwhile, polar bears have white fur, meaning that they blend into the snowy background of the Arctic. Polar bears’ skin is actually black and their hairs are translucent, so they appear white because of how they reflect the light.
The Void Has Such A Good Camouflage. So Many Potential Pounce Places
Parent's Dog On The Nearly Identical Rug
The Truck In Front Of Us Lined Up Perfectly With The Mountains
Accent is wrong on après - they could have asked anyone with basic French to proofread that (eyeroll).
Ultimately, animals that develop camouflage that isn’t useful for the environment that they’re in typically do not survive. On the flip side, the animals that better match their surroundings have a higher chance of surviving and breeding. Their offspring will look similar to them. Gradually, over many generations, the animals will match their environments better and better.
My Friend's Outfit Exactly Matched My Coffee Cup Today
I had a kid at a holiday program who accidentally wore the same colours of their drink bottle.
Tricky One
Sheer Coincidence
How animals will develop camo and what types of colors and patterns end up being passed on also heavily depend on the types of predators that hunt in the area. As ‘How Stuff Works’ points out, there wouldn’t be a point to animals replicating the color of their surroundings if their predators were colorblind. If new predators end up in the area, this would also disrupt how various local species develop their natural camo.
My Dog’s Camouflage Game Is Spot On
Office Camouflage
This Chair Leg Blends In Very Well
A huge issue is that due to climate change and rapid urbanization, the environments in which wildlife lives can change drastically. These changes might force some species to adapt quickly in order to survive in a landscape full of new colors, drastically changing how they look. It can also force species to migrate, creating new biospheres where camo that has served some animals for dozens if not hundreds of generations is no longer a viable strategy.
If you'd like to see some more photos of accidental camouflage, be sure to check out Bored Panda's previous features once you're done enjoying this post.
Aligned Shoes' And Escalator' Stripes
This Lizard's Perfect Tree Bark Camouflage
My Wife And I Were Quite Happy About Our New Rug Purchase. Sadly, Though, Our Dog Ran Away The Same Day
A Few Years Ago I Caught The Fog Blending Almost Seamlessly With The Water
My Husband Ken Found A Mini Plastic Version Of Himself At HomeGoods
I No Longer Have A Cat, Just Two Croissants
I Tried To Take A Photo Of A Small Cat Whilst I Was About To Leave For My Doctor’s Appointment
I hope that one day I have the ability to ✨disappear✨ when someone tries to look at me
A Feral Kitty Sleeping In Our 50-Year-Old Tree Trunk
If feral means homeless kitty would be mine now I wouldn’t just take a pic
My Dad Burnt A Pancake So Bad It Camouflages With The Black Pan
My Girlfriend's Cat That Blends Into His Bed
Bet You Can't Tell Which One Is A Real Dog
Little Nyko Is The Reason I Can’t Just Jump Into Bed Anymore Without Thoroughly Scanning The Blanket First
My Daughter's Shirt At The Art Museum
Pic My Husband Took Of Me Passing Him A Pencil
This Camouflaged Chair
Yeah, that is what happens when you use the same fabric for everything.
Can You See Her? My Friend’s Dog In Her Bed
This one actually got me for a second. The dog is on the bottom, but the bed looks kinda like a dog head in the top right corner, as if its nose is touching at 2 o'clock.
Accidentally Recreated My Kitchen Counter's Pattern On A Plate While Seasoning A Burger
My Poor Choice Of Dinner Attire
Love the shirt. Questionable choice for upholstery. Orange digital? Really?
My Face Mask Dried Unevenly And Now Matches My Sweatshirt
These Pants vs. The Gravel
This Frog Blends In With The Concrete Bench It Is Sitting On
Every Time I Take My Glasses Off In Bed I Lose Them For A Minute
Camouflage Really Helps When Fishing
Fantastic! Cute pets AND basically a brain teaser every post? I'm a fan.
Just missed the "afternoon snooze" photo. Perhaps it just means they were too tired to share a photo. Time for a 😴 snooze.
Fantastic! Cute pets AND basically a brain teaser every post? I'm a fan.
Just missed the "afternoon snooze" photo. Perhaps it just means they were too tired to share a photo. Time for a 😴 snooze.