Colours! The world around us is full of them and although different people might prefer a certain hue of colour to others, we all appreciate that a world in black and white would not be as beautiful as one that offers a multitude of shades and tonalities.
For as long as art and design have existed, artists have been inspired by the colours seen in nature. The beauty of a field full of blooming flowers, the various shades of green found in trees or the brown of falling leaves during the autumn season. The colour of wood, rust, clay, the colour of the sea or the redness of a beautiful sunset as well as the marvel of colours seen in various types of animals such as the peacock, flamingo or a butterfly.
Since Carnival is associated with the vibrance of colours, seen mostly in costumes and floats, during Think It! Make It! Carnival at Esplora, we will exhibit a set of six posters at the EsploraCafè, each of them dealing with a different purpose as to why some animals have a particular colour or why they use it for certain benefits.
We were always told that chameleons change their skin tone to blend in with different environments… but the truth is, this colour change serves as a more important function. It regulates their body temperature!
And what about flamingos? We associate them with a vibrant shade of pink however, they are born grey or white and start turning pink in later years after having eaten a huge amount of shrimp and their body starts absorbing the colour of their favourite type of food!
You can read all about these and more when visiting the EsploraCafè during our carnival event. In the meantime, here are some other facts for you.
Defence Mechanism
Some animals manage to blend in their environment and escape detection from their predators thanks to the colour of their skin or their ability to change colour according to their habitat.
Whilst many animals naturally match their surroundings, like for example deer, bunnies and squirrels who are naturally brown and match their forest surroundings, others manage to camouflage themselves by shedding their fur, feathers or scales and regrowing them in a different colour.
For some animals, such as those with fur, it is more time-consuming to shed and regrow, than animals who have feathers or scales. Because of this, most of these animals, especially those found in winter countries such as Arctica and Siberia, tend to change their coat twice in a year: to white in the winter season and back to brown in the summer months. Example of these animals are the arctic fox, the snowshoe hare and the Siberian weasel.
Disruption
Did you know that most butterflies have big spots at the top of their wings to disrupt the attention of their larger predators? These spots resemble the eyes of creatures who are larger than these fragile insects and this baffles their predators into thinking that they are bigger than they actually are.
Another form of disruption is when animals move from one place to another in very large groups. Just imagine a group of zebras moving from one place to another together! Wouldn’t it be confusing for their predators to see a block of black and white stripes moving all at once?
Getting Attention!
Whilst the above use their colour to conceal themselves, there are others who use it to grab attention. Some animals, mostly birds, change to a bright colour in mating season to attract a partner. One of these is the male goldfinch, who in spring turns bright yellow to impress their female counterparts.
Peahens, choose their mating peacock, according to the attractiveness of its feathers – therefore the brighter the colour on the peacock’s tail, the more popular he is!
The above are only a few examples of the beauty of colours found in the world’s natural environment. Can you think of other examples? Use @esploramalta to look for our page on Facebook or Instagram and send us your comments on the subject.
