- Some critters simply don’t give a hoot or a holler about camouflage.
Animals come in plenty of different colors and patterns. Many times, their colors blend into their surroundings perfectly, rendering the creatures virtually invisible.
Other times, they have the exact opposite effect. Some animals sport colorations so bright, garish, and flamboyant that they’re basically screaming, “Look at me!”
Here are eight critters from the bottom of the sea to the treetops whose colors will make you question what was in your last drink.
1. Ribbon Seal
Let’s start with an animal that doesn’t throw a rainbow at your face but still looks unusual. You probably wouldn’t think much of their typical light gray fur if you saw a newborn ribbon seal.
But once the seal grows, it sheds its natal coat and develops a striking dark fur with white stripes snaking across it. The color difference between the base fur and the stripes is duller in females, while the males are basically black-and-white.
One purpose for the stripes may be to help the seal blend into the streams of light breaking through the Arctic ice cover. But considering the males are more brightly colored, it may also help them woo the ladies.
2. Regal Ringneck Snake
Seen from the top, the regal ringneck snake looks like your usual gray slitherer. But if you flip it on its back, you’re in for a surprise.
The snake’s belly is bright yellow around its neck. The color shifts to orange and eventually red at the tip of the snake’s tail.
Regal ringneck snakes’ colors act as a threat display. When disturbed, the snake curls up to reveal the gradient — while also farting out a cloud of revolting musk.
3. Rainbow Cricket
The rainbow cricket is a small insect native to the southern United States and Mexico. And it sure lives up to its name.
This bug wears a bright dotted and striped color pattern, mixing vivid blues with orange and yellow highlights. They make the cricket stand out in its native desert habitat.
The colors serve the purpose of deterring predators. Biologists’ experiments have shown that lizards don’t want to eat the brightly colored crickets — but they’re not sure why because they aren’t poisonous.
4. Indian Bullfrog
It’s very easy to tell when a male Indian bullfrog is feeling amorous. During its normal life, it looks like any drab green-and-brown frog.
But when it gets horny, the male Indian bullfrog undergoes a dramatic transformation. Its body turns a bright neon yellow, while its vocal sacs (you know, the things frogs croak with) become a deep blue.
The vivid colors make the males more attractive to females, but they also make the frogs stand out to predators. But hey, that’s the price you pay for love, baby.
5. Halloween Crab
Under the sea, every day is Halloween. At least if you ask the Halloween crab, because it’s always dressed for the occasion.
We can’t quite tell what the crab is dressed as, though. At least we’ve never seen any ghoul or goblin with a black-and-yellow body, purple arms, and neon-orange legs.
It’s really cute, though. We’d definitely give this little guy the best candy if it showed up trick-or-treating at our door.
6. The Pink-necked Green Pigeon
The pink-necked green pigeon’s name is a total lie. Sure, the male bird’s neck is pink and a big part of its body is green.
But it also has black patterns under its wings, orange on its chest, and blue and yellow on its tail. And don’t even get us started on the females, which are mostly green — no pink necks there.
We guess you have to draw the line somewhere when you’re naming animals, though. Calling this bird the pink-necked mostly-green black-winged orange-chested blue-and-yellow-tailed green pigeon would be a bit much.
7. Mantis Shrimp
Mantis shrimps are carnivorous crustaceans that lurk on the bottom of the oceans. And they will dress exactly as they feel like.
The shrimp come in all possible colors, from dull gray to bright red or blue, and even in technicolor rainbow hues. But we suppose it’s easy to dress fancy when their freaky eyes can see colors we humans can’t even comprehend.
Also, mantis shrimp are complete murderous psychos. They might sometimes look like clowns, but are you going to go tell them that?
That’s what we thought.
8. Akhal-Teke Horse
What a gorgeous bronze sculpture of a horse! Wait, why is it moving?
The Akhal-Teke is a Turkmen horse breed that’s famed for its unusual short coat that shines with a gorgeous metallic sheen. Due to the coloration, the Akhal-Teke are also known as “golden horses.”
These animals aren’t just pretty, though — they’re also fast. Their speed and endurance makes the golden horses popular racehorses around the world.