adaptationA body feature or habit, passed down, that helps survival. Fur that hides an animal against snow is an adaptation.
blend inTo match what is nearby so well that nobody notices. "A green insect can blend in on a green leaf."
camouflageBody colors or a body shape that keep an animal hidden. The spotted coat of a leopard is camouflage.
concealTo hide something so that it cannot be seen. "Tall grass can conceal a resting fawn."
disguiseA changed look that hides what something really is. "Covered in seaweed, the crab wore a disguise."
habitatThe natural home that gives a species what it needs. "The habitat of this frog is a pond with reeds."
mimicryA likeness to another animal or thing that fools others. A harmless hoverfly looks like a wasp. That is mimicry.
patternAn arrangement of shapes or colors that repeats. Spots and stripes are two kinds of pattern.
predatorA hunter: an animal that catches others for food. Golden eagles and polar bears are predators of the Arctic fox.
preyA creature that other animals chase, catch and eat. A predator kills and eats its prey.
surroundingsAll the things that lie around an animal or a place. "The moth's wings were the same gray as its surroundings."
surviveTo go on living, even through danger. "A hare that is hard to see is more likely to survive."
Show all 36 terms (24 more)
Kinds of camouflage 12
active camouflageCamouflage that changes to suit new surroundings. Some flatfish change their coloring to match the sea floor under them.
backgroundWhatever is seen behind an animal or object. "The lizard was the same color as the background."
colorationThe way an animal's body is colored. "The coloration of the bird is brown above and white below."
countershadingColoring that is dark on the back and pale on the belly. Many fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and insects are countershaded.
disruptive colorationBold patches that break up an animal's outline. The patches have strong contrast, so the edge of the body is hard to pick out.
eyespotA mark on the body that looks like an eye. Some butterflies, fish, birds, reptiles and cats have eyespots.
moltTo drop worn fur or feathers as fresh ones come in. A rock ptarmigan molts from white winter feathers to gray and brown ones.
outlineThe outer edge that shows the shape of a thing. "From far away we saw only the outline of the deer."
self-decorationCovering the body with things picked up nearby. A decorator crab fastens plants and small animals to its body.
snow camouflageWhite coloring that matches a snowy winter landscape. The snowy owl stays white all year round.
transparentLetting light pass, so that things behind can be seen. Many sea animals, such as jellyfish, are transparent.
warning colorationBright colors that tell predators to stay away. Warning coloration is the opposite of hiding: the animal is easy to see on purpose.
Animals that hide 12
Arctic foxA fox of the far north with snow-matching winter fur. The Arctic fox lives on the tundra of the far north.
chameleonA lizard able to shift the colors of its skin. Some chameleons shift only between shades of brown. Others show reds, yellows, greens and blues.
cuttlefishA relative of the squid, quick to change its skin color. Cuttlefish are sometimes called the chameleons of the sea.
decorator crabA crab that sticks plants and animals on its body. The plants and animals come from the place where the crab lives.
flounderA flatfish whose coloring hides it on the sea floor. A flounder lies on one side, with both eyes on the side that faces up.
leaf insectAn insect whose body mimics a leaf. Leaf insects are also called walking leaves.
leafy seadragonA sea fish covered in leaf-like flaps that hide it. The flaps do not help it swim. Their one job is to hide the fish.
nightjarA bird whose plumage helps conceal it during the day. Nightjars are active at night or at dusk and dawn.
octopusA soft, shell-less mollusk that has eight limbs. An octopus defends itself with camouflage, ink and a fast escape.
polar bearAn Arctic bear whose light fur hides it in the snow. The fur of a polar bear is white or yellowish, and the skin under it is black.
snowshoe hareA hare with brown fur in summer and white fur in winter. A snowshoe hare often freezes in place when it detects a predator.
stick insectAn insect whose body mimics a twig or a thin branch. Stick insects are hard for predators to detect among plants.
How this list was compiled: Word list chosen for this site on 2026-10-09. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the English Wikipedia articles (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Camouflage, Crypsis, Mimicry, Predation, Habitat, Adaptation, Countershading, Disruptive coloration, Aposematism (warning coloration), Active camouflage, Self-decoration camouflage, Eyespot (mimicry), Transparency and translucency, Moulting, Snow camouflage, Animal coloration, Chameleon, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Phasmatodea (stick insect), Phylliidae (leaf insect), Arctic fox, Snowshoe hare, Flounder and Flatfish, Leafy seadragon, Decorator crab, Nightjar, Polar bear and Rock ptarmigan. The everyday words (blend in, pattern, survive, disguise, surroundings, conceal, outline, background, coloration, transparent) and the animal names with an entry were checked a second time against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), under the same license. The winter and summer coat of the snowshoe hare was also read on a page of the U.S. National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov/articles/snowshoe-hare.htm). The example after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work
How it works
These animal camouflage worksheets are three matching sheets of twelve: camouflage words, kinds of camouflage, and animals that hide. Each has the words on the left, the meanings in another order on the right, and an answer key. There is no picture to label.
Read the full guide
Camouflage words, then kinds of camouflage
Set opens on Camouflage words. Kinds of camouflage has the science names: countershading, disruptive coloration, warning coloration, active camouflage, self-decoration, eyespot, transparent, molt, outline, background, snow camouflage and coloration.
A camouflage animals worksheet
Animals that hide has twelve animals to match to a line about each: chameleon, octopus, cuttlefish, stick insect, leaf insect, Arctic fox, snowshoe hare, flounder, leafy seadragon, decorator crab, nightjar and polar bear. In the list under the tool each animal has one more fact.
Warning coloration is on the second sheet as the opposite of camouflage: bright colors that are meant to be seen.
Questions and answers
What is animal camouflage?
Camouflage is body coloring or a body shape that keeps an animal hidden. Some animals match their background, some have bold patches that break up their outline, and some, such as the leaf insect, look like something else.
What is the difference between camouflage and mimicry?
Camouflage makes an animal hard to see. Mimicry makes it look like another animal or thing: a harmless hoverfly looks like a wasp, so birds that eat insects leave it alone.
Which camouflage worksheets fit 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade?
The sheets name no grade. Camouflage words has everyday terms such as predator, prey and habitat. Kinds of camouflage has longer science names such as countershading. Animals that hide has twelve animal names, from chameleon to polar bear.
Is there a camouflage worksheet for kindergarten?
These sheets are for children who can read a line of text. For a kindergarten class, type short pairs of your own in the box, such as hare = snow or moth = bark, and the sheet prints those.