Mimicary of nature
At first glimpse these pictures may look like nothing out of the ordinary : appearing to just show an ordinary leaf or a branch of a tree.
But on closer inspection you can spot some of nature's true masters of disguise playing a killer game of hide and seek.
From a katy did disguised as a leaf to a tiny Pygmy Seahorse camouflaged in sea fan in Papua New Guinea , these images showcase the creatures who can quite literally blend into the background.
Nothing out of the ordinary: A Leaf mimic katydid is an uncanny additionto a group of leaves, left, and a Lichen-mimic katydid is barely noticeable camouflaged on tree.
Illusionist: A leaf-mimic katydid - also known as a bush-cricket - camouflaged to look like a dead leafto hide itself from predators
Masters of disguise: An Oak beauty caterpillar branching out, left, and a Hooded mantis hiding among leaves in a Costa Rican tropical rainforest.
Barking up the wrong tree: A common potoo - a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America - blending into the bark on a tree branch
Hiding in the deep: A tiny Pygmy Seahorse, which only grow up to 2cms, pictured at 130 feet below sea level on a sea fan in Papua New Guinea
Making no mark: Another leaf mimic katydid shows off its incredible camouflaging skills by mimicking theleaf it is standing on
Creepy crawler: A well camouflaged large huntsman spider, which uses its venom to paralyse its prey, but is thought to not be particularly dangerous to healthy humans
Lying in wait: The eyes of a flatfish peering up from its seafloor are the only thing that reveals its hiding place
Keeping a keen eye: John Cancalosi, who took this snap of a tiny red crab camouflaged on a Sea Fan in Papua New Guinea, said even he sometimesstruggles to spot the creatures he photographs
In the eye of the beholder: A Lantern fly - a Central and South American planthopper - captured in a defensive display by photographer John Cancalosi
Where's Wanda?: A triplefin fish, found around the coast of New Zealand at depths of about 15m, swimming by tunicates to blend in
The invisible shrimp: A transparent anemone shrimp, found in many coral reefs around the world, hidden in an anemone
A prickly pink customer: A well-camouflaged majid crab crawling across a soft pink coral
Blending in: A small shrimp surrounded by the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone which feed on small fish and shrimp
Undercover creature: A Leaf mimic katydid camouflaged to look like leaf for defence from predators
Impressive disguise: A grasshopper camouflaged like a dead leaf is almost completely unrecognisable
But on closer inspection you can spot some of nature's true masters of disguise playing a killer game of hide and seek.
From a katy did disguised as a leaf to a tiny Pygmy Seahorse camouflaged in sea fan in Papua New Guinea , these images showcase the creatures who can quite literally blend into the background.
Nothing out of the ordinary: A Leaf mimic katydid is an uncanny additionto a group of leaves, left, and a Lichen-mimic katydid is barely noticeable camouflaged on tree.
Illusionist: A leaf-mimic katydid - also known as a bush-cricket - camouflaged to look like a dead leafto hide itself from predators
Masters of disguise: An Oak beauty caterpillar branching out, left, and a Hooded mantis hiding among leaves in a Costa Rican tropical rainforest.
Barking up the wrong tree: A common potoo - a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America - blending into the bark on a tree branch
Hiding in the deep: A tiny Pygmy Seahorse, which only grow up to 2cms, pictured at 130 feet below sea level on a sea fan in Papua New Guinea
Making no mark: Another leaf mimic katydid shows off its incredible camouflaging skills by mimicking theleaf it is standing on
Creepy crawler: A well camouflaged large huntsman spider, which uses its venom to paralyse its prey, but is thought to not be particularly dangerous to healthy humans
Lying in wait: The eyes of a flatfish peering up from its seafloor are the only thing that reveals its hiding place
Keeping a keen eye: John Cancalosi, who took this snap of a tiny red crab camouflaged on a Sea Fan in Papua New Guinea, said even he sometimesstruggles to spot the creatures he photographs
In the eye of the beholder: A Lantern fly - a Central and South American planthopper - captured in a defensive display by photographer John Cancalosi
Where's Wanda?: A triplefin fish, found around the coast of New Zealand at depths of about 15m, swimming by tunicates to blend in
The invisible shrimp: A transparent anemone shrimp, found in many coral reefs around the world, hidden in an anemone
A prickly pink customer: A well-camouflaged majid crab crawling across a soft pink coral
Blending in: A small shrimp surrounded by the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone which feed on small fish and shrimp
Undercover creature: A Leaf mimic katydid camouflaged to look like leaf for defence from predators
Impressive disguise: A grasshopper camouflaged like a dead leaf is almost completely unrecognisable
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