Australia's camouflaged creatures

techniques, manipulating shape, colour and movement. 'The principle of camouflage is to make it economically unviable for a predator to pursue a particular species of prey,' explains Professor Mark Elgar, of the University of Melbourne. 'Camouflage increases the search time and, as a consequence, the predator will simply target another species, either because it doesn't see the camouflaged individual or it just finds something more obvious to do.' B The easiest way for an animal to disguise itself is to be invisible in its surroundings, so to that end, stick and leaf insects have evolved complex camouflage to hide themselves from predators. Many have the texture of sticks or dry leaves, while others imitate living foliage, even the veins in a leaf. Some insects develop blemishes to match the spots caused by disease. A convincing appearance only works if its owner also acts the part, so during the day the creature using this type of camouflage keeps motionless, or sways like a dead leaf in the breeze. If disturbed, it falls to the ground and stays still. Entomologist Paul Zborowski, who has spent decades photographing inconspicuous creatures, rates the desert insects of Central Australia as the most convincingly disguised…