Cryptic coloration is a type of camouflage that makes potential prey difficult to spot against its background. Overall, it is a coloration that allows an organism to become less distinguishable from its background - a camouflage defense mechanism. Thus, the creature is less likely to be spotted and subsequently less vulnerable to predation. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way that they function as a more or less stable whole and have properties of life. ... Many animals have developed physical Defence mechanisms (British spelling; Defense mechanisms in American English) which act, as evolutionary characteristics in a similar way to psychological defences. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with predator. ...

Examples of Cryptic coloration

One of the best examples is the Biston betularia, or peppered moth. The peppered moth came in many shades, from dark black to very white, with all variations coexisting in British forests. With the rise of the Industrial Revolution, however, it seemed that the darker variance was more predominant than the lighter colored kin. This was mainly due to excess pollution from early factories, a condition that subsequently made the trees darker. Because of this, the darker version was less capable of being spotted by predators; thus, peppered moths with that adaptation were more capable of surviving. Binomial name Biston (moth) betularia Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies betularia cognataria parva The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a temperate species of night-flying moth often used by educators as an example of natural selection (see theory of evolution, industrial melanism). ... A dense growth of softwoods (a forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded area set aside for hunting). ... The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... Environmental Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. ...