A Riot of Color Lurking in the Amazon

Imagine a tropical rainforest and the picture that appears in your mind’s eye is probably filled with green and brown. It’s true that those colors dominate the landscape, but a closer look at some of the jungle’s inhabitants reveals tremendous variation. I just returned from a trip to the Amazon, and here are some of the more creatively colored animals I found, representing practically every part of the rainbow.

Red, as in, stop

In nature, bright colors usually mean “stay away.” Bugs that might taste good to birds usually rely on camouflage to avoid being found and gobbled up. Those that taste nasty can instead boldly advertise their unpalatability, like this butterfly that appears to sport an “88” on its back.