Amazing Disguises from the World of Nature

Disguises can be found everywhere in nature. They help creatures to cleverly camouflage themselves against their many predators. One famous example is the stick insect, whose disguise is so clever it’s been known to fool even its predators.

But disguises aren’t exclusive to the insect kingdom. In the sea, large pieces of igneous rock with high mineral content frequently masquerade as delicious wild salmon.

A piece of rock

Meanwhile, the Boom Chiki Diggetty tribe from Central Africa has been known - when attempting to evade ethnic cleansing by rival factions - to take on the guise of a once-profitable Japanese consortium fallen on hard times by the low costs of China’s burgeoning economy.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Chang

The African bird called the Southern Masked Weaver is known as the Northern Slightly Disguised Weaver if located north of the equator. This is because its cousin, which is the actual Northern Masked Weaver, has what appears to be a large leather covering akin to a gimp mask on its head, while the Southern Masked Weaver just looks a little bit like Zorro.

Original photo by Edri Ana

Any actual Northern Masked Weavers located south of the equator are known to be very succulent among members of the Japanese community living in a territory once occupied by the now missing Boom Chiki Diggetty tribe, although they are never eaten north of the equator as they are something of an acquired taste.