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SPINES
▼
Some animals have defensive
armour. Others, like this porcupine,
bristle with long, sharp spines. This
can make them almost impossible
to attack, and even dangerous to
animals that try.
PLAYING DEAD▼Many hunters will only eat prey that they
have killed themselves. Some animals like
this opossum take advantage of this by
“playing dead” if threatened. An opossum
may keep up the pretence for six hours!CAMOUFLAGE
▼The best defence is to avoid being
noticed at all. Camouflage makes
animals hard to see against their
background. This mountain hare turns
white in winter to match the snow.NOXIOUS SMELL
▼Skunks are notorious for the
vile-smelling fluid that they
spray from scent glands
under their tails if attacked.
They can aim accurately
for up to 2 m (6.5 ft), often
targeting the faces of
their enemies.SAFETY IN NUMBERS
▶Solitary animals make easy
targets, so many try to confuse their
enemies by living in dense shoals, flocks, or
herds. By staying close together, this shoal looks
like one big fish rather than lots of little ones.POISON GLANDS
▶If attacked by a hunter, a toad
defends itself by inflating
its body with air and
oozing poisons from
its skin. This makes
it hard to eat and
also makes it taste
unpleasant, so
its enemy
is likely
to leave
it alone.038_039_Hunting.indd 39 03/01/19 12:09 PM