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THE NATURAL WORLD IS AN AMAZING PLACE WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. MANY CREATURES HAVE AWESOME APPEARANCES; WITH DAZZLING DISPLAYS, THESE ANIMALS ARE DRESSED TO IMPRESS.
THE PINK FLAMINGO
THE SHALLOW SODA LAKES OF THE EASTERN RIFT VALLEY HAVE CRYSTALLISED SALT TURNING THE SHORES WHITE, AND ARE FAMOUS FOR THE LARGE FLOCKS OF FLAMINGO. IT'S ONE ANIMAL WHOSE DIET DOES DETERMINE ITS COLOUR. FLAMINGOS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR PINK PLUMAGE, WHICH IS ONLY THIS COLOUR BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY EAT. THEY FEED BY SIEVING MICROSCOPIC BACTERIA, RICH IN RED PIGMENTS, FROM THE SOUPY WATER. THESE PIGMENTS ARE ABSORBED BY THE FLAMINGO'S TISSUES AND SPREAD AROUND THEIR BODIES TO FEATHERS, BEAKS AND SKIN. IF FLAMINGOS AREN'T FED A PIGMENT RICH DIET THEY'LL EVENTUALLY TURN GREY.
CHAMELEONS SHOW THEIR FEELINGS BY CHANGING COLOUR
CHAMELEONS ARE COLD BLOODED REPTILES THAT COME IN A VARIETY OF HOT COLOURS. THESE SWIVEL EYED, STRETCHY TONGUE LIZARDS REVEAL THEIR INNERMOST EMOTIONS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD BY CHANGING COLOUR. BUT CAN MOOD SWINGS REALLY MOTIVATE THIS TINTED MAKEOVER?
A MALE PANTHER CHAMELEON GOES BRIGHT RED, WHICH MEANS HE'S BOILING WITH ANGER. THE INTRUDER SIGNALS HIS THREATENING INTENTIONS BY CRANKING UP HIS COLOUR, CHANGING FROM PLACID GREEN TO ANGRY ORANGE IN SECONDS. UNDER THE SKIN ARE LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COLOURED CELLS CONTROLLED BY NERVES AND HORMONES. THE SKIN COLOUR CHANGES DEPENDING ON WHICH CELLS ARE EXPANDED OR CONTRACTED. CONTRACTING BOTH LAYERS OF COLOURED CELLS REVEAL WHITE CELLS BELOW SO THE SKIN TURNS PALE.
OPTICAL ILLUSIONS KEEP ZEBRAS OUT OF DANGER
IN BOLD BLACK AND WHITE, ZEBRA'S STRIPES ARE AN IMMEDIATE IDENTIFICATION. THE BLACK AND WHITE WORKS BECAUSE ZEBRAS ALWAYS HANG OUT IN HERDS. MOVING TOGETHER IN A GROUP, THEIR STRIPED BODIES CREATE AN OPTICAL ILLUSION. IT'S HARD TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE ONE ZEBRA STOPS AND ANOTHER BEGINS. THIS TRICK AT THE LIGHT IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN A HEAT HAZE. SEEN FROM A DISTANCE, THE STRIPED ZEBRAS BLEND IN MUCH BETTER WITH THE BACKGROUND THAN ANY OTHER HERD IN THE WILD. THE ZEBRA'S LOOK GIVES LIONS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE IN COLOUR. THEY ONLY SEE IN BLACK AND WHITE. HAVING BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES ALSO GIVES ZEBRAS THE EDGE AGAINST ONE MORE TYPE OF ATTACK FROM FEROCIOUS FLIES. ZEBRAS ARE PLAGUES BY BITING INSECTS BUT BIZARRELY THEY'RE UNLIKELY TO BE BITTEN BY THE BLOOD SUCKING BUGS - TSETSE FLIES. THESE FLIES AVOID THE STRIPES PREFERRING TO HOME IN ON BIG SOLID BLOCKS OF DARK COLOUR LIKE WILDEBEEST. THE STRIPES BAFFLE THE BUGS. THE ZEBRAS CAN RELAX KNOWING THAT BLACK AND WHITE IS THE BEST WAY TO FOOL THEIR ENEMIES.
THE PINK FLAMINGO
THE SHALLOW SODA LAKES OF THE EASTERN RIFT VALLEY HAVE CRYSTALLISED SALT TURNING THE SHORES WHITE, AND ARE FAMOUS FOR THE LARGE FLOCKS OF FLAMINGO. IT'S ONE ANIMAL WHOSE DIET DOES DETERMINE ITS COLOUR. FLAMINGOS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR PINK PLUMAGE, WHICH IS ONLY THIS COLOUR BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY EAT. THEY FEED BY SIEVING MICROSCOPIC BACTERIA, RICH IN RED PIGMENTS, FROM THE SOUPY WATER. THESE PIGMENTS ARE ABSORBED BY THE FLAMINGO'S TISSUES AND SPREAD AROUND THEIR BODIES TO FEATHERS, BEAKS AND SKIN. IF FLAMINGOS AREN'T FED A PIGMENT RICH DIET THEY'LL EVENTUALLY TURN GREY.
CHAMELEONS SHOW THEIR FEELINGS BY CHANGING COLOUR
CHAMELEONS ARE COLD BLOODED REPTILES THAT COME IN A VARIETY OF HOT COLOURS. THESE SWIVEL EYED, STRETCHY TONGUE LIZARDS REVEAL THEIR INNERMOST EMOTIONS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD BY CHANGING COLOUR. BUT CAN MOOD SWINGS REALLY MOTIVATE THIS TINTED MAKEOVER?
A MALE PANTHER CHAMELEON GOES BRIGHT RED, WHICH MEANS HE'S BOILING WITH ANGER. THE INTRUDER SIGNALS HIS THREATENING INTENTIONS BY CRANKING UP HIS COLOUR, CHANGING FROM PLACID GREEN TO ANGRY ORANGE IN SECONDS. UNDER THE SKIN ARE LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COLOURED CELLS CONTROLLED BY NERVES AND HORMONES. THE SKIN COLOUR CHANGES DEPENDING ON WHICH CELLS ARE EXPANDED OR CONTRACTED. CONTRACTING BOTH LAYERS OF COLOURED CELLS REVEAL WHITE CELLS BELOW SO THE SKIN TURNS PALE.
OPTICAL ILLUSIONS KEEP ZEBRAS OUT OF DANGER
IN BOLD BLACK AND WHITE, ZEBRA'S STRIPES ARE AN IMMEDIATE IDENTIFICATION. THE BLACK AND WHITE WORKS BECAUSE ZEBRAS ALWAYS HANG OUT IN HERDS. MOVING TOGETHER IN A GROUP, THEIR STRIPED BODIES CREATE AN OPTICAL ILLUSION. IT'S HARD TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE ONE ZEBRA STOPS AND ANOTHER BEGINS. THIS TRICK AT THE LIGHT IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN A HEAT HAZE. SEEN FROM A DISTANCE, THE STRIPED ZEBRAS BLEND IN MUCH BETTER WITH THE BACKGROUND THAN ANY OTHER HERD IN THE WILD. THE ZEBRA'S LOOK GIVES LIONS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEE IN COLOUR. THEY ONLY SEE IN BLACK AND WHITE. HAVING BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES ALSO GIVES ZEBRAS THE EDGE AGAINST ONE MORE TYPE OF ATTACK FROM FEROCIOUS FLIES. ZEBRAS ARE PLAGUES BY BITING INSECTS BUT BIZARRELY THEY'RE UNLIKELY TO BE BITTEN BY THE BLOOD SUCKING BUGS - TSETSE FLIES. THESE FLIES AVOID THE STRIPES PREFERRING TO HOME IN ON BIG SOLID BLOCKS OF DARK COLOUR LIKE WILDEBEEST. THE STRIPES BAFFLE THE BUGS. THE ZEBRAS CAN RELAX KNOWING THAT BLACK AND WHITE IS THE BEST WAY TO FOOL THEIR ENEMIES.
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