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Everyone tries to look good to impress a member of the opposite sex. Is this true even to animals. To attract the other member, some adopt bright and striking colours to get attention. This applies to many, from fish to birds, to reptiles and mammals. One typical example of the usage of impressive colours to attract, would be the case of the Argus pheasant. It is the most spectacular of all ground birds. The male Argus has a very long tail feather often 1m in length. Together with this, it also has a huge wing with beautiful spots all over. In the presence of a female, he will erect his tail feather and spread his wings revealing the many lines of golden eyespots. Also like the Argus, the peacock manifests its immense tail feathers revealing similar eyespots, but bigger and more detailed, with shades of blue, green and black. Once totally erect it looks exactly like a huge fan with hundreds of "eyes" staring at you. Birds of paradise from Australia and New Guinea clear patches of leaves from branches to allow sunlight in. After which, they will stand under the light and bend over, spread their wing feathers and clap them together. The South American golden cock-of-the-rock contingas hide their beaks in their thick brilliant orange feathers. And like the Argus pheasant, they clear the vegetation on the ground to make space for their ritual dance to impress the females.
Even though many bird species uses colours and patterned to attract mates, this strategy is not limited to birds only. Some primates too show off their colourful coat to attract their mates. The red ukaris have a bare head, which is pigmented with a striking red colour. Their body coat is either white or reddish brown to make its reddish head colouration more obvious. This reddish head appeals to females, and males urine wash to enhance it. The Chameleons as we all know is famous for its ability to change the colour of their skin to blend into their surroundings. But it also changes it colour to attract a mate. |
