Woody wonder
<p><em>Invisibility is high on the list of superpowers that humans dream of possessing. Our legends, myths and stories reveal this long-held desire; they are replete with characters that have acquired, or are innately endowed with the ability to turn invisible at will. As always, nature is two steps ahead of us! Several creatures can either use camouflage to merge with their surroundings, or mimic other things, living or non-living to appear almost invisible in plain sight. Over time, evolution then fine-tunes these adaptations, passing each useful trait to the next generation. On the following pages, you will see leopards, spiders, owls, even animals that live under water, using illusion and disguise to avoid detection, to hunt, or to hide!</em></p>
<p>An Indian Scops Owl <em>Otus bakkamoena</em> sits meditatively, seemingly growing out of the tree bole. Its small size (23-25 cm.) and textured brown body help it blend in with tree barks and hollows where it perches or roosts. Here, it can be identified by its prominent ear tufts, also by its frog-like calls to those who recognise the sound. This nocturnal raptor is found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Iran.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Avishek Gupta.</span></strong></p>
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