Mother Nature must have been tripping when she came up with this lot. From flamboyant birds to deadly snakes, meet the insanely colourful critters for whom camouflage probably means hiding in a box of fluorescent crayons.
Blue coral snake
A dangerous snake with potentially lethal venom, the blue coral snake is coloured spectacularly to warn predators of its life-threatening bite. People sometimes mistake them for the less dangerous pink-headed reed snake—a costly error to make.
Gouldian finch
These cute passerine birds look like Andy Warhol creations due to their wide variety of colour mutations. Heads can be red, black or yellow, standing out proudly against a patchwork of other brightly hued body parts.Photo by Photo by David Pegzlz / Shutterstock
Sunset moth
Butterflies might be better known for their beauty, but the Sunset moth easily outshines its fluttering cousins with its iridescent wings. These are capable of showcasing a whole spectrum of colour due to the complex microstructure of their ribbon-like scales.
Indian peacock
With their confident struts and ostentatious tail feathers, male peacocks are the poster boys of the bird world, flaunting their impressive colours to woo potential mates. Females, by comparison, are a modest mousy brown colour.
Mandarinfish
Shy but stunning, mandarinfish only emerge at dusk to mate, making them difficult for divers to spot. Those who do manage to catch a glimpse of this marine beauty will be treated to the fish’s psychedelic array of colours, resembling the robes of a Chinese emperor (also known as a mandarin, hence the name).
Poison dart frog
Although small, these rainforest-dwelling frogs aren’t too difficult to spot. Their brightly coloured bodies, designed to warn predators of their poisonous nature, make sure no one messes with them.
Mandrill
Charles Darwin said that ‘no other member in the whole class of mammals is coloured in so extraordinary a manner as the adult male mandrills.’ We reckon he’s right. This distinctive primate’s mask-like face and bizarrely bright buttocks make mandrills an awesome sight to behold.
Clownfish
Now synonymous with Finding Nemo, the cheeky clownfish is a common sight in coral reefs, where they live in sea anemones. The two species have a symbiotic relationship, protecting one another from predators.
Rainbow agama
This sub-Saharan species of lizard gives the chameleon a run for its money. Male agamas turn a striking contrast of orange and blue during breeding season, although once they’ve finished wooing the ladies they return to a less inspiring shade of murky brown.