Construction of "world of animals"

Or to hide itself, or as a reproductive competition, or to have deterrent opponent animal architecture colorful world

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Http://www.thebeijingnews.com source: Beijing News

Everybody desires, obviously this photo in a reservoir with a leaf discoloration stealth tail Gecko, you can see it on the head?

A dialogue leucogenys couples, black it's just a husband and wife is lifted.

Milk snake is non-toxic, but long a snake's appearance. The film the Pink Panther II "are foreign, photographing a classic old tablets before that title became a very special one word. But in the real world, pink animals really rare?

We know, the one who loves colorful animal color grey, not easy to see that there is a colourful, color, single, but double inclusion, some animals will change colour.

In the evolution of the process, the animal is how to choose your own colors? what are the factors affecting each animal has a unique color now?

1 pursuit of camouflage effect

Color through the eyes, brain and our life experience a kind of Visual effects to light.

We observed a color, in fact, by the retina, the light source, and so on various restrictions and influence, and do not necessarily represent the objective of the color.

Even the "pink iguanas are peaceable", it is also a bit of pink "rustic".

In the crater, Sandy such natural environment, is not particularly clear. In fact, and most reptiles, this land iguanas are peaceable also chose and the surrounding environment close to the color.

"Most animals will select and around physical environment similar colors, this is a major principle.

" Tao Yi said, this kind of out of adaptation for the purpose of the selected color is usually very" practical ". Such as the desert animals more Khaki, Rainforest animals more green and so on. In most cases, the choice of practical color is adapting to the environment more conducive to predator or keep, thus showing a camouflage color or protective coloring effects. Comparison of renowned artist beetle, posing Mantis, Caterpillar, moth, snake, frog, lizard and which, like Madagascar leaf tail Gecko and American horned but Masters level. Camouflage color can also be designed to prey on, for example, Green Snake is often disguised as vines, motionless site in the tree waiting for prey to pass by, disguised as deciduous tropical rainforest of the heap are also netted Boas have explosive attack force.

As far back as the Arctic Polar bears also seems to have and environment consistent color, however, it is worth noting that the polar bear fur is a transparent color, through reflection to snow white render to their fur.

Even the sea aquatic animals will select and environment consistent color, seawater is not blue, bottom-up look more partial to the light-coloured, looking down from sea to sea.

Therefore, the majority of life in the sea surface is coloured fish back, belly white, as much as possible to avoid being detected. Departure in the deep tropical fish are colourful, colorful, because they choose and coral reefs as bright colours, which can be protected.

2 albino animals survive in the wild to

"Normally, some animals in vivo gene mutation produces genetic differentiation, produced and ordinary individuals completely different body color.

Known as the color type or Variant. "Joe yilun said.

Gene mutation can not only lead to pure body color variation, and sometimes make animals patterns and pattern variation.

For example, the Bengal tiger is jinhu, silver Tiger, Snow Tiger, Tiger, and other colors of gold and silver, which apart from the obvious differences, the body's internal structure and habits completely.

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And color-related gene mutations, the most well-known is "albinism."

Many people seem to be cute or symbolic auspicious white animal, is a product of, such as rabbits, white, white, White Snake and so on. Their full body skin (feather or flake, crustaceans) become white. Eye IRIS pigmentation, can not directly see the color of blood, their eyes are red.

"The key is the lack of a control, the pigment enzymes cannot synthesis of melanin, the hair becomes white.

" Joe yilun said. Albino animals just some ordinary animals "sick" of the individual, and not a separate species. In nature, the "whitening" the probability is very small, about Wasa. In fact, "albinism patients" survival capacity is very low. Their Constitution is very poor, fear of the Sun against the eye tremor, also will be susceptible to skin cancer, on a variety of bacteria, fungi and also very sensitive, easy to get sick, so life is very short.

Because the albino animals in the Flock is "different", for example, a group of yellow deer suddenly appeared in a white individual, it is easier to invite their discoveries.

Also, depending on it as the "alternative" of fellows are usually reluctant to make friends with it, it will lose the opportunity to breed in the world-the discovery of albino animals can easily be eliminated the possibility of the formation of new species is small.

From the perspective of genetics, albinism into a new species of May is also very low.

"Albinism gene is recessive mutations in the genes. " Tao Yi said:" mostHarmful gene is recessive, both parents are sick, the next generation will cause disease. ”

However, even if the relationship is very close to the animals between heavy fitness, to continue breeding places is also very small.

"Albino animals mainly artificial selection of power, people have to be this constant propagation, varieties, but is formed in accordance with the purpose of the other changes inanimals such as pigs, sheep, horses, and other domestic animals in many colors, forms and such. But back to the nature of a few can live. ”

3 play wanhuayang become discolored

Color choice is caused by common efforts, both inside and outside, and all architectures.

In addition to genetic factors, external environment temperature, humidity, sunshine and food, and other factors, on the animal body color. For example, the food will affect the color of the animals. It is often said: "eat like anything. " Flamingo because long-term consumption of food containing the red pigment and a red feathers.

External environment will cause internal pigment, vascular changes, thus causing discoloration.

There's a snake as environmental conditions and the physiological state of change, the pigment cells in vivo snake will seek or shrink, raises the colour changes, resulting in yellow, red, the color spot color, shape, color variation type.

Iguanas are peaceable also has very powerful color changing capabilities in different heat, humidity, illumination, their skin vascular changes.

For example, native to Central and South American tropical rain forest iguana would change colour as they grow older, the larva of green, Brown, blue surface of iguana, the entire head adulthood are blue, and even a handful of iguana becomes systemic red color type.

Terrestrial biology of discoloration King of course is evading service (Chameleon).

It in a short period of time based on the environment and their own emotional change color. From bondage to color depends entirely on the skin surface in three layers of pigment cells, these unique pigment cells filled with different colors of pigment, blending neural stimulation of transformation.

That is such a powerful lizards change color capacity, long-term and lizards with Joe yilun also suspected that the so-called "pink iguanas ar

e peaceable" whether the color capabilities and iguanas are peaceable.

Other bracts many animals, some animals with age to color, such as leucogenys, male-female black, gray, small apes born golden yellow with age, hair color change slowly, until the change to black, to adults, and faster into the female apes was gray, Iris apes are black to adult.

Other animals you will pass the melanin production and reduced, as the seasons change hair molting. Such as life in the cold of the snow, snowy winter, body hair is pure white, summer is replaced with brown hair, and summer tundra of mottled color very similar.

Throughout the Animal Kingdom, is a colourful, almost no color does not exist, regardless of the purpose for which the color of choice is a big animal evolution ACE.

New thematic interviews/reporter Kim Yu

This special appreciated: Tao Yi (research fellow, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Joe yilun (Beijing Zoo reptilian museum technician)