A majority of animals that camouflage do so for protection. By blending in with their environment, predators are less likely to spotted and hunt them. Camouflage can also have the opposite effect -- to help animals hunt. By the camouflage animal appearing like other natural elements in the environment, its prey won't fear stepping into close proximity, thus making the prey an easy kill. Animals may also change colors to express a mood, such as fear and coldness.
Many animals camouflage to remain hidden from sight;, therefore, their appearance most often reflects their surrounding environment. Certain animals may blend in with leaves, rocks, the ground or animals of their kind. For instance, "Zebras use their stripes to confuse their main predator, lions," according to BrainPOP. "Zebras' stripes prevent lions from focusing on one animal."
Animals camouflage in different ways. Some animals are born with a skin surface or fur coating that is similar to the environment they live it. Look at polar bears. Polar bears are white in color to blend in with the cold weather where snow exists. Other animals have the capability to change their physical appearance through their skin coat or by folding into a particular position. Some birds can open their beak wide to appear like a flower.
In the mammal class, zebras, bobcats and leopards present a physical appearance that blends in with their environment. In the reptile class, certain chameleons have the ability to change skin color in different conditions including yellow, dark blue or black. In the insect class, the Phylliidae family of insects has an appearance of a leaf. In the bird class, certain owls blend in with their surroundings to look like rock. In the fish class, some flounders appear like the gravel on the seafloor.