The things you didn’t know about wildlife and colour

Carnival is over, bringing an end to five days of colour that added some cheer to life after weeks of dull, cloudy weather.

As in previous years, many float designers were inspired by the most colourful species in nature, particularly parrots, butterflies and fish.

Colours are used as an effective means of communication, sending out messages such as “I am good to eat”, “I am a good partner”.

On the other hand, colours are often used as camouflage to hide the animal from prey or predators.

Many fruits and berries change colour from green to red as they ripen.

Plants want birds and mammals to eat their fruit only when the seeds are fully developed and until this happens, the fruit is inedible.

Flowers use colour to attract pollinators, especially insects.

Although insects, like humans, can distinguish colours, their vision is different from ours.

For example they are able to see ultraviolet light. Thus some flowers that are plain to us have lines and patterns that guide the insects to the nectar.

Many orchids are shaped and coloured like particular insects to mislead males into thinking they are females and thus land on them and unwittingly carry pollen from one flower to another.

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