Looking At Iowa Wildlife - Animal Camouflage: Nature's Game of Hide and Seek

Event Summary

Roy Behrens will be presenting Looking at Iowa Wildlife: How the Appearance of Animals Contributes to Their Survival.  This 45-minute presentation is a richly illustrated overview of how "protective coloration" (or animal camouflage) contributes to the survival of animals... in the wild (mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and so on). Fast-paced and non-technical, it touches on contributions by zoologists, ethologists, naturalists and others to the study of wildlife, as well as surprising discoveries by visual artists, notably Abbott H. Thayer and Louis Agassiz Fuertes. It provides a range of examples of such phenomena as background matching, countershading, disruptive coloration, and mimicry, with emphasis on species that are found in the Midwest. Illustrated by photographs, paintings and demonstrations, this program addresses the interests of a wide audience.   By the end of the talk, many will have a new awareness of the puzzling, deceptive (and sometimes humorous) forms that are found in their own backyard.

Category

Special Events