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Hiding in Colour

David Attenborough reveals the extraordinary ways in which some animals use colour to hide and disappear into the background.

David Attenborough reveals the extraordinary ways in which some animals use colour to hide and disappear into the background. New science reveals how the Bengal tiger in central India uses its orange-black stripes to hide from its colour-blind prey. In Kenya鈥檚 Masai Mara, the zebra鈥檚 black-and-white pattern confuses predators with an extraordinary effect called motion dazzle. And on the island of Cuba, a small snail uses colourful stripes in a surprising way to hide from its enemies.

Other animals use colour to trick and to deceive. On Australia鈥檚 Great Barrier Reef, a blue-striped blenny uses colours to mimic other fish and launch a sudden attack. In the grasslands of Zambia, the chick of a pin-tailed whydah mimics the patterns of its nest mates to ensure that it is not detected as an impostor. And specialist cameras reveal how a tiny crab spider uses bright ultraviolet colours to lure in its victims.

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58 minutes

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Last on

Thu 29 Aug 2024 00:05

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Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter David Attenborough
Series Producer Sharmila Choudhury
Producer Nick Green
Production Company Humble Bee Films

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