Wild Colors

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White-cheecked gibbon (Hylobates leucogenys) mother with male infant. As the baby grows, he will become black with the species' distinct white cheek patches.

Confusion
Many mammals use visual trickery to confuse predators. White-cheeked gibbon babies are buff, matching the mothers to whom they cling. Birds of prey, which would snatch a newborn from its mother’s grip, cannot distinguish offspring from mother.

At 1 year old the free-swinging youngsters turn black, making them less visible to predators lower down in the trees. At 7, female gibbons once again turn buff while males stay dark, an example of sexual dimorphism that helps individuals distinguish between genders.

The black-and-white striped Grevy’s zebras at the Antelope & Zebra Area make the most of their two colors. When wild zebras bunch together in herds,
their stripes confuse predators who have trouble focusing on one individual.

The pair of Grevy’s zebras at the zoo haven’t any predators to fear, yet they still stand near each other, presenting a blur of black and white.
A variety of animals use irregular coloration, like random flecks of yellow on an otherwise green tree python or stripes across the body of Amur tigers. This helps break up the outline of the body, making the animal harder to spot as it hunts or hides.

Next:Hiding and Communication

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