9 Female Orchid Praying Mantis
The male and female orchid praying mantises of Southeast Asia have evolved to look extremely differently from one another, similar to many insect species. The female mirrors the look of the orchid blossoms that they dwell around, whilst the male is little and brown. The males can avoid being seen as they search for a partner and the females may attract insects as prey thanks to their camouflage.
This species’ evolution has produced a female specimen that is extremely exceptional. The art of disguise has been mastered by female orchid mantises. Their limbs have stunning pink and yellow colours and are formed like flowers. They are often confused for the genuine thing because to their bodies’ resemblance to fully grown orchids, and they may even be more effective at luring insects than the blooms they imitate. This is true despite the fact that female orchid mantis resemble a generalized mix of orchid-like traits rather than a specific type of orchid.
8 San Francisco Salt Ponds
You might have spotted a colorful patchwork of ponds on the shore below if you’ve ever flown to San Francisco. These are the Cargill Salt Ponds, which have mostly been returned to public and nonprofit landowners for restoration.
One of the city’s main industries for 150 years was salt production. The former salt mines, which formerly covered more than 15,000 acres, are now the site of a significant tidal wetland restoration effort. This implies that the vividly colored ponds won’t last forever.
So why did the salt mines provide such a vibrant environment? It’s all down to Dunaliella, a form of microscopic algae. Algae that grows in water with a lot of salt gets a rich red or coral pink tint. Algae turn green when there is little salt present.
Astronauts have utilized the salt ponds as a visual landmark when orbiting the globe because to its spectacular color array, which is visible even from space.
7 Amazon River Dolphin
One of the few freshwater dolphins still living today, you won’t find this one in the ocean. In South America, particularly the Amazon River, it may be found in lakes and rivers. These dolphins are large creatures, weighing up to 350 pounds (160 kg) and growing as long as nine feet (2.7 m), however they lack the dorsal fin that is often associated with dolphins.
Unfortunately, dolphins are sometimes murdered on purpose because they consume the fish that river fisherman wish to catch to make a living. They are the origin of a lot of myths as well. The dolphins are said to be quiet, alone, and blind in local folklore, but research has proven that they are actually social, even rather aggressive, and have full vision.
The color of the dolphins ranges from gray to their distinctive pink tint, and according to scientific observations, the pink color develops as the animals become older, with male dolphins having the pinkest coloring.
One plausible idea holds that the pinkness of their skin results from scar tissue from the numerous battles that adult dolphins have. Others have hypothesized that the pink colour is an evolutionary reaction to the need to conceal from larger predators by blending in with the red sand in the riverbeds of South America.
