MASTERS OF DECEPTION: The natural world is filled with 
deception. Details ahead on Passport to Texas. 

This is Passport to Texas (April 1)

In nature, deception can mean the difference between life 
and death for certain species; animals use camouflage 
and mimicry to fool predators and prey alike.

Stick insects look like slim twigs and-when among the 
branches of woody plants-go largely undetected by 
rodents, bats, and birds that would make a meal of them.

Eastern screech owls use cryptic coloration to blend into 
their surroundings. When perched in trees their feathers 
resemble bark; their prey may not notice them until it's 
too late to elude capture.

By mimicking the color and pattern of the Monarch 
butterfly which is poisonous if eaten, the Viceroy 
butterfly manages to stay off the menu of species that 
would otherwise make a snack of it.

Southern flounder, a species of flatfish, are predatory 
animals. Their coloring is similar to the gulf floor where 
they lay in wait unnoticed for potential prey-which they 
ambush once spotted. 

A whitetail fawn's spots help to camouflage it from 
predators. It works best when they are in a wooded 
setting, as their reddish coat with white spots resembles 
dappled sunlight on the forest floor. 

Even though in the human world deception seems like a 
cheap trick, in the natural world, it's just the trick some 
animals need to survive.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti





Total sound bite time:		     0:00.0
Maximum Script time:		     0:85.0      Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25