Stratagem in the Natural World

Polar bears camouflage themselves more completely during a hunt by covering their black noses with their paws.

A duck protects her brood by pretending to be injured, to ward of an assailant.

The quail bird will feed near a hedge to avoid a descending bird of prey.

The mongoose can intimidate a cobra snake, with its inquisitive manner without fear of being bitten.

A chameleon changes colour to camouflage its presence.

A fox cleanses itself of parasites by taking a clump of lamb’s fur from a fence and walks backwards into a river, this make the fleas retreat to the fur and fox walks from the river unadulterated.

The wren bird will make its nest at the back of a tree so it is blind to the human eye.

Most animals display a voice of defiance and will give a warning, then a show that they are much bigger than they are. If this fails there will be conflict until there is concede or death, most conflict ends in concede because having wounds or infection in nature leads to certain death.

Nature is the text book to life.

George Andrews

Photo courtesy of ruby blossom

---