Common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Photo © Lip Kee Yap · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
The northern subspecies of the common eland is perhaps the prime example of a mammal that uses the same pattern of colouration to camouflage itself from its predators when standing still and to advertise itself to its own kind when moving.
This is achieved by the appearance – at some distance and in bright sunlight – of a peculiar ‘matt-sheen’ on the face and throat, and by the artful arrangement of various dark features which disrupt the outline when stationary but accentuate any movement.
Common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Photo © Loco2014 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Photo © Charles J. Sharp
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Common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Photo © Micha L. Rieser · Wikimedia Commons · Attribution
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016