25 June 2004

Now you see me, now you don't

Allen E. Rhodes

While some animals are so brightly colored they are difficult to ignore, others are so carefully camouflaged they are difficult to see.

A classic example of the latter is the increasingly uncommon Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) shown in this nice digital image by amateur naturalist and photographer Allen E. Rhodes. Allen came across the lizard in rural LaSalle County about 130 kilometers (about 80 miles) south of San Antonio, Texas.

He writes, "The horned lizard is a beautiful example of protective coloration. Before it crawled up on the white stone, it was hardly visible unless moving. You can also see a red ant next to it--apparently a favorite food, as the animal was about a meter (3 feet) from a hill of them."