Animals all over the Earth on land and within its oceans have evolved with some type of amazing camouflage or survival disguise in order to further exist in the wild. Many of these adaptations are intricate patterns or color shades that enable the living being to blend in with barely a trace of detection by predators.
Owl blending perfectly in with a tree. Eoiarucasadvancedone.blogspot photo.
Camouflage in animals tends to adhere to three factors regarding environment. Blending in and becoming one with the environment is most common in nature. Behavior and physiology of the animal, relating to the behavior of the predator. And lastly, the environment in which the animal lives and hunts its food.
Since animal camouflage is genetically determined, each new generation adapts to it environmental features a little better. most animals mimic the habitat’s coloration and features and take on some representation in their appearance for disguise. Some species are able to change those features as needed through biological means. Chameleons obviously come to mind in this regard. Birds and some furred animals also adjust by shedding or molting and growing different colored coats seasonally.
Common baron caterpillar blending into a leaf. Wohinauswandern photo.
Animals also use camouflage in groups or herds. Zebras blend their individual stripes together and appear as a larger mass to dissuade would be predators like lions. Tropical fish utilize this tactic as well by forming huge schools as protection. See kids… another reason to stay in school.
Polar bear using white to blend in. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bears and Arctic animals use white as their camouflage. Polar bears are obviously a larger animal that has few predators besides humans. Therefore, blending in for them is a matter of disguising for predatory reasons. In essence, sneaking up on seals on white ice is the advantage gained. Other Arctic animals such as Arctic fox, Arctic hares, ptarmigan and beluga whales all need that white on white for protection from predators in the wild.
Willow ptarmigan becoming one with the snowy tundra. Art Wolfe photo.
Here are some fantastic photos of polar bears from really talented photographers! Enjoy the Churchill images on this Tuesday. I’m amazed at how many new depictions of polar bears capture their incredible beauty from so many different vantage points. We would love to post some of your best wild polar bear photos. Post them on our Facebook page: Churchill Polar Bears.
Polar bear mom and cubs. Roie Galitz photo.
Polar bears sparring intently. Simon Gee photo.
Polar bear sniffing its way around a polar rover. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear in the willows in Churchill. Eric rock photo.
These polar bear mother and cub(s) shots are a great way to start the week. With Churchill Arctic summer season coming fast, it’s a nice way to look back or even ahead to October and November when the bears will congregate around the Churchill region. Of course summer always presents opportunities to come across polar bears arriving early in the area. Guiding many Churchill summer seasons, I had the opportunity to interact with bears on the tundra and coastline at the most unexpected times. These thrills will be with me for a lifetime. Enjoy these images from Churchill!
Mother and cub in Churchill. Brad Josephs photo.
Polar bear mom and cubs on the Hudson Bay. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Mother and cub polar bear. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Here are a couple of BBC videos showing the skill polar bears learn and teach their young while seal hunting out on the Hudson Bay pack ice near Churchill. One in ten attempts to catch a seal in a snow den is successful. Polar bears are indeed both patient and persevering in their will to sustain their bodies over a cold and desolate winter on the ice. Enjoy these two videos from the far north!
If you have been one of the lucky ones to have tried curling in Churchill while on a wildlife adventure to see polar bears or perhaps the northern lights you have surely had some fun and laughs. The game is slowly spreading in popularity throughout the United States but still remains an enigma to most outside of Canada.
Churchill Curling club participants from Natural Habitat Adventures. Karen Walker photo.
Here are a few secret tips to Churchill curling at the rink inside the town complex. if you have not yet ventured to Churchill, try and include this activity in a future trip to the polar bear capitol of the world.
1. – Unless you know the caretaker of the curling rink personally it will first be a little tricky to even find the somewhat hidden location of the rink and confirm that the ice is in place. Yes, it’s in the town complex but the entrance is located in a less frequented hallway with no exterior windows to view in.
2. – The rules of the game are fairly complex and it will be impossible to pick them all up in one session. The main thrust of the game is to “throw”…rather glide on the ice, eight stones weighing 42 lbs. with handles and try to get closest to the middle “target” button or painted spot underneath the ice. There’s quite a bit of strategy to all the throws leading up to the final stone for each team of four.
3.– Understand that “sweeping” is not the kind you do in your home to clean up. Sweeping in curling involves two of the four teammates sliding ahead of the stone, with special shoe pads, and a special broom, that more accurately resembles a padded squeegee. The idea is to adjust the sweeping in front of the “stone” to manage the speed and for the really experienced sweepers even the direction to a slight degree. I was able to play this position in a local fun “bonspiel” in Churchill once and found it to be very fun and incredibly effective when you get the hang of it.
Churchill curling club conducting league games. Churchill Curling Club photo.
4. – When the skip, the person who throws the stones, yells “hurry”, it is quite entertaining and unique to this sport. What he/she is requesting is for the sweepers to sweep faster in front of the stone and therefore create a smoother and faster surface. The stone will increase in speed by a very slight amount though this may be the difference in a winning shot.
5. – Don’t touch the stones until the shot is over. This includes the sweepers and any teammates waiting at the end of the sheet for the stone to arrive near the target. If anyone on a team touches the stone, even with a broom, the shot is disqualified. Bad etiquette.
Natural Habitat travelers enjoy a curling experience in Churchill. Karen Walker photo.
6. – The curling lounge is almost as important as the curling rink itself. Churchill’s club lounge is a glass enclosed facility that is heated and overlooks the rink from above. A huge part of the curling experience is the camaraderie before, during and after the game or games are being played. Churchill, being such a tight knit town in a generally cold weather environment, especially tends to unite through this activity and gathering space.
Inside the Churchill Curling Club lounge. Churchill Curling Club photo.
7. – Plan on an unforgettable experience of a lifetime. This very well could be the only time in your life that you can experience the fun of playing this age – old sport. When I participated in the tournament in Churchill I was convinced I would return home to the US and find a curling club to join…that was 10 years ago and I still have not played the game again. I did return with a trophy since I was paired up with some of the town’s best curlers. Enjoy it while you have an opportunity!
