OH, OOBEE DOO
I WANNA BE
LIKE POO
WHAT’S BETTER THAN HIDING FROM A
PREDATOR? LOOKING LIKE SOMETHING
THEY WOULDN’T WANT TO EAT IN THE
FIRST PLACE. SAY HELLO TO THE
SPECIES THAT LOOK LIKE FAECES
WORDS: BEN HOAREIn the natural world, a good way of not being eaten is
to look like something that has no nutritional value –
or, better still, tastes revolting. This sophisticated form
of defence is known as ‘masquerade’. It’s not the same
as camouflage – that’s simply hiding, says masquerade
expert Dr John Skelhorn at Newcastle University.
Take this ‘bird poop frog’ (Theloderma asperum) of
Southeast Asia. Its predators, such as snakes and
birds, may notice it squatting on a leaf, but misidentify
it as avian splatter and carry on. “Bird droppings are
perfect for masquerade as they’re so common in the
environment,” says Skelhorn, adding that posture is
often part of the foolery. “When I held one of these
little frogs, it tucked its limbs in so convincingly. It
even had the slight iridescence that poo has.”�
POOP TO CONQUER
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