# Organisms camoflauged for some visual systems but not others?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organisms-camoflauged-for-some-visual-systems-but-not-others/492563>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 9, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organisms-camoflauged-for-some-visual-systems-but-not-others/492563 "2009-04-09T21:20:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organisms-camoflauged-for-some-visual-systems-but-not-others/492563/21 "2023-04-15T06:51:44Z")

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Indeed - when you can’t hide a thing by blending in, the next best thing is to try to make it difficult to tell what the thing is, which way it’s facing, or how many of them are present

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organisms-camoflauged-for-some-visual-systems-but-not-others/492563/22 "2023-04-15T06:53:40Z")

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> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> Of course for a predator like a lion, it’s crucial to focus on one individual when it makes an attack. That’s the only reason why animals like some birds and fish move (quickly) in huge swarms, and grazing mammals in herds.

Indeed, and if the patterning of the prey makes it even slightly unclear which direction it will bolt when attacked, that’s an advantage. It doesn’t have to work every time - just needs to be better than not working at all.

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**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2023, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/organisms-camoflauged-for-some-visual-systems-but-not-others/492563/23 "2023-04-15T08:11:50Z")

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“Pick a spot” is needed by us humans, too. Targeting a general shape simply doesn’t work in the real world.

Direction of bolting is indeed crucial information to a foot chaser, animal or not.

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