Hiding in Plain Sight All animals need to eat. Being eaten, on the other hand, is not so great. So some animals like the leafy sea dragon fool predators by blending in. T is sea dragon looks more like a plant than an animal. Flaps of skin that look like leaves branch out from its body. As it moves through the water, it looks like fl oating seaweed. Predators leave it alone. What great camoufl age! Take a closer look. Do you see its long snout,


thin tail, and slender trunk? Small fi ns help push it as it driſt s and tumbles in the ocean currents off the southern coast of Australia. T is sea dragon makes the most of its leafy looks. It sneaks up on unsuspecting sea lice and eats them for dinner.


Safe Sunbathing Waxy monkey tree frogs get their name from their adaptation. T ese pale green frogs live in South America. While most frogs live in cool, moist areas, this one likes it hot. Yet the sun and heat can be deadly to a frog.


T ey can dry out its delicate skin. T at’s where the wax comes in. T e waxy monkey tree frog oozes a wax


from glands in its skin. T is wax is like a protective coat. T e frog spreads the wax over its whole body. It looks like it’s putting on sunscreen. T e wax traps moisture, keeping the frog


cool and moist. Now the frog can spend its days snoozing on a tree branch in the hot sun. At night, it wakes up and is ready to hunt.


This leafy sea dragon hides from predators. It blends in with the seaweed around it.


8 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER

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