Animal Camouflage IELTS Reading Answers

12 min read

Updated On Jul 24, 2024

Table of Contents

• Reading Passage
• Animal Camouflage 
• Animal Camouflage IELTS Reading Answers With Explanation 
• Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Animal Camouflage Reading Passage

The ‘Animal Camouflage’ is an IELTS Academic Reading passage is a good resource for anyone who is preparing for the IELTS Reading test. This passage will help you understand what kind of reading passages you will encounter and the questions that you will be asked lớn solve.

The question types in this IELTS Reading Passage include:

• True/False/Not Given (Q. 1-4)
• Summary Completion (Q. 5-13)

Before you begin lớn solve the questions, kiểm tra out the đoạn Clip and learn how lớn quickly scan out answers

from Reading passages!

You should spend about trăng tròn minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

A The theory of natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin almost 150 years ago, hypothesizes that organisms with traits that give them a survival advantage tend lớn live: longer and produce more offspring. Over many thousands of years of evolution, those beneficial characteristics dominate the ren pool. Animals that use camouflage lớn conceal themselves from their enemies, predator and prey alike, provide a classic example of natural selection at work. Creatures with some type of protective coloring pass along the genes responsible, with each generation fine tuning them along the way, eventually providing the most effective coloring for their environment and lifestyle. Scientists have described four types of camouflage that animals use: background matching, disruptive coloration, countershading, and mimicry.

B From dirt-colored chipmunks and gophers lớn leaf-green praying mantises and tree frogs lớn ocean gray mackerel and sharks, all sorts of wildlife use background matching, also known as crypsis, lớn blend in with their surroundings. Some animals have the ability lớn alter their coloring as their environment changes seasonally or as they change locations. The arctic ox and the snowshoe hare both have white winter fur that matches the snow and ice around them, but a brown pelt in warmer weather blends in with their woodland environs. Some reptiles and fish can alter their surface appearance instantly as they move from place lớn place. The green anole lizard changes from green lớn brown as it travels among leaves and branches, whereas the flounder and other types of flatfish are able lớn match not just the color but also the silty or mottled sandy texture of the ocean floor beneath them.

C Most animals, though, cannot change their appearance ví easily. Because background matching works only for a specific setting and often requires animals lớn remain motionless for long periods, a somewhat more effective strategy involves having a camouflage that works on many backgrounds, blending in with all, but not perfectly matching any of them.

D Disruptive coloration uses a pattern such as stripes or spots lớn disrupt the toàn thân outline. The pattern breaks up the contour of the animal’ toàn thân, confusing observers and making it difficult lớn distinguish an individual shape. Colors with more contrast, lượt thích a tiger’s stripes, tend lớn increase the disruptive effect. This type of camouflage works well for animals that travel in herds. It helps zebras blend In not ví much with their background as with each other. Their major predator, the lion, sees a mass of moving stripes and has trouble targeting a specific animal. A single zebra, on the other hand, may use background matching when hiding in tall grass, where it’s Đen and white stripes merge with the green and yellow stalks. The different colors of the grasses and zebras are no help lớn a lion, which is color-blind.

E Animals with counter-shading typically have a dark backside and a light belly, which affect an onlooker’s perception of their three-dimensional appearance and help decrease their visibility in sunlight. Counter-shading also can create a more uniformly dark appearance, presenting an apparent lack of depth. Caterpillars make good use of this effect, which gives them a flat look that blends In with tree bark.

F Counter-shading is useful lớn birds and marine animals that are typically seen against a light environment from below and against dark surroundings from above. Predatory birds lượt thích hawks take advantage of it lớn conceal themselves from the small birds and rodents they hunt. While In fight, a dark back absorbs the sunlight above them and the light underside reflects the light below, diminishing telltale shadows that might give them away. On the ground or in a tree, their mottled brown feathers blend in with branches and leaves. Penguins also use counter-shading. Their white chests and Đen backs stand out on land but disappear in water where penguins spend most of their time. They are almost invisible lớn an observer looking down into dark water, while a creature In deeper water looking up sees a splash of white that looks lượt thích a beam of sunlight.

G Mimicry, or masquerading, works not by hiding a creature but by making it appear lớn be something else. Walking stick insects are virtually indistinguishable from twigs, and katydids look ví much lượt thích green leaves that leaf-eating insects have been observed trying lớn chew on them.

H A type of mimicry known as aposematism involves masquerading as an animal that is undesirable or even dangerous. Predators bypass the foul-tasting monarch butterfly, but they also avoid the tasty lookalike viceroy butterfly. Coral snake impersonators, lượt thích the harmless scarlet snake, have the same red, Đen, and yellow bands but in a different order: Đen, yellow, red, yellow on the coral snake and red, Đen, yellow, Đen on the scarlet snake. Different types of moths use aposematism lớn scare off predators; some species have a big spot on each wing lớn mimic the eyes of large animal, while the hawk moth caterpillar has a pattern on its rear that looks lượt thích a snake head.

I Some predators use what is known as aggressive mimicry lớn disguise themselves as something harmless ví they can catch prey off guard. Small animals are not afraid of turkey vultures, which are scavengers, not predators. So when the similar zone-tailed hawk flies with a group of turkey vultures, it has an easy time locating and zeroing on its living prey.

J No single type of camouflage works best in all situations, and many animals use more than vãn one technique lớn enhance their ability lớn avoid detection by predators and prey alike.

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Questions 1-4

1 The walking stick insect looks lượt thích a small stick.

2 The viceroy butterfly is similar in appearance lớn the monarch butterfly.

3 The scarlet snake is extremely poisonous.

4 The hawk moth caterpillar is brightly colored.

Questions 5-13

Complete the summary below. 

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer

Camouflage helps animals hide from both 5……………………. Animals pass on their 6…………………… through their genes. There are four different types of camouflage. In background matching, an animal’s appearance helps it 7…………………… with its environment. The arctic fox and snowshoe hare are examples of animals that 8…………………… with the seasons. However, not all animals can easily change their appearance. Many use a different strategy, having camouflage that helps them disguise themselves 9……………………. Animals with disruptive coloration have marking such as 10…………………… that make it difficult for a predator lớn discern the shape of the toàn thân. Therefore, the predator has a hard time targeting one animal out of a group. Although zebras are Đen and white, they can hide in tall grass because their major predator is 11…………………. 12…………………… is a type of camouflage that helps hide animals that are seen from above or below. Penguins, for example, have 13…………………… which help them blend in with the dark water from the point of view of an observer standing above.

Check out the detailed answers for the questions given above and get an idea of how lớn improve your reading skills for a top IELTS Reading band score.

1 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 7, line 2

Answer explanation: In the given location, it is given that “Walking stick insects are virtually indistinguishable from twigs…”. It points out that the walking stick insects look lượt thích (are virtually indistinguishable) a small stick (twig). As the statement agrees with the information, the answer is True.

2 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 2

Answer explanation: In the specified line, it is given that “Predators bypass the foul-tasting monarch butterfly, but they also avoid the tasty lookalike viceroy butterfly.”. From the cited line, it is clear that the monarch butterfly looks similar (lookalike) lớn the viceroy butterfly. As the statement agrees with the information, the answer is True.

3 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 3

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is stated that “Coral snake impersonators, lượt thích the harmless scarlet snake…”. It can be concluded that, unlike mentioned in the statement, the scarlet snake is harmless, i.e., it is not poisonous. As the statement contradicts the information, the answer is False.

4 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: Although it is mentioned that the hawk moth caterpillar has a pattern on its rear that looks lượt thích a snake head, there is no reference lớn whether it is brightly coloured or not. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

5 Answer: predator and prey

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 1, line 3

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is stated that “Animals that use camouflage lớn conceal themselves from their enemies, predator and prey alike, provide a classic example of natural selection at work.”. In other words, camouflage is a natural technique that helps animals hide from both predators and prey. Hence, the answer is ‘predator and prey.’

Let us kiểm tra out some quick tips lớn answer the types of questions in the “Animal Camouflage,” IELTS Reading Answers passage.

True/False/Not Given: 

True/False/Not Given questions are a type of IELTS Reading question that requires you lớn identify whether a statement is true, false, or not given in the passage. In order lớn answer them, follow the tips given below!

• The statements are presented chronologically. Move on lớn the subsequent sentence after determining the first solution.
• Beware of terms that could subtly alter the meaning of the phrase. For example, many, some, never, few, all, always, etc.
• Avoid spending too much time on a single question. Mark it Not Given if you are totally unable lớn locate one.

Sentence/Summary Completion:

Sentence/Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you lớn fill in a gap in a sentence/summary with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer sentence completion questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the Passage Carefully: Before attempting the sentence completion questions, read the passage or relevant section carefully. Understand the context and the main idea of the text. This will help you identify the purpose of the missing words or phrases.
• Identify Clues: While reading the passage, look for clues that can help you guess the missing words. These clues can be synonyms, antonyms, transitional words, or logical connectors. Pay attention lớn the words or phrases immediately before and after the gap lớn understand the context.
• Predict the Missing Words: Based on the context and clues, try lớn predict what type of words or phrases would fit logically in the sentence. Think about the grammar and meaning of the sentence and make educated guesses about the missing information.
• Check Grammar and Word Form: Pay close attention lớn the grammar and word sườn in the sentence. Ensure that the words you choose lớn fill in the blanks are grammatically correct and fit the sentence structure. Be mindful of verb tenses, plurals, and word forms.
• Practice with Vocabulary: Expanding your vocabulary is essential for sentence completion questions. Regularly practice with a variety of vocabulary exercises and word games. Familiarize yourself with synonyms and antonyms for common words lớn enhance your ability lớn identify suitable words for the gaps.

Kudos! For solving Animal Camouflage IELTS reading passage! Now lớn vì thế even better in your IELTS Reading section solve Recent IELTS Reading Passages.

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