Animal Camouflage- IELTS Reading Answers

The Academic passage, Animal Camouflage, is a reading passage that appeared in an IELTS Test. Try to find the answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test. The Reading Module of the IELTS can be the top-scoring category with diligent practice.

To achieve the best results in this section, you must understand how to approach and answer the different Question types in the Reading Module. By solving and reviewing Sample Reading Questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are up to the mark.

The question types found in this passage are:

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

Before you begin to solve the questions, check out the video and learn how to quickly scan out answers

from Reading passages!

Reading Passage

Animal Camouflage 

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 to live: longer and produce more offspring. Over many thousands of years of evolution, those beneficial characteristics dominate the gene pool. Animals that use camouflage to 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 to leaf-green praying mantises and tree frogs to ocean gray mackerel and sharks, all sorts of wildlife use background matching, also known as crypsis, to blend in with their surroundings. Some animals have the ability to 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 to place. The green anole lizard changes from green to brown as it travels among leaves and branches, whereas the flounder and other types of flatfish are able to 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 so easily. Because background matching works only for a specific setting and often requires animals to 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 to disrupt the body outline. The pattern breaks up the contour of the animal’ body, confusing observers and making it difficult to distinguish an individual shape. Colors with more contrast, like a tiger’s stripes, tend to increase the disruptive effect. This type of camouflage works well for animals that travel in herds. It helps zebras blend In not so 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 black and white stripes merge with the green and yellow stalks. The different colors of the grasses and zebras are no help to 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 to birds and marine animals that are typically seen against a light environment from below and against dark surroundings from above. Predatory birds like hawks take advantage of it to 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 black backs stand out on land but disappear in water where penguins spend most of their time. They are almost invisible to an observer looking down into dark water, while a creature In deeper water looking up sees a splash of white that looks like a beam of sunlight.

G Mimicry, or masquerading, works not by hiding a creature but by making it appear to be something else. Walking stick insects are virtually indistinguishable from twigs, and katydids look so much like green leaves that leaf-eating insects have been observed trying to 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, like the harmless scarlet snake, have the same red, black, and yellow bands but in a different order: black, yellow, red, yellow on the coral snake and red, black, yellow, black on the scarlet snake. Different types of moths use aposematism to scare off predators; some species have a big spot on each wing to mimic the eyes of large animal, while the hawk moth caterpillar has a pattern on its rear that looks like a snake head.

I Some predators use what is known as aggressive mimicry to disguise themselves as something harmless so 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 one technique to enhance their ability to avoid detection by predators and prey alike.

Questions 1-4

1 The walking stick insect looks like a small stick.

2 The viceroy butterfly is similar in appearance to 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 to discern the shape of the body. Therefore, the predator has a hard time targeting one animal out of a group. Although zebras are black 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.

Answers of Animal Camouflage IELTS Reading Answers With Explanation 

Read further for the explanation part of the reading answers.

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 like (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) to 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, like 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 like a snake head, there is no reference to 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 to 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.’

6 Answer: protective colouring

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 1, line 4

Answer explanation: Through a reference line like, “Creatures with some type of protective colouring pass along the genes responsible, with each generation fine-tuning them along the way, eventually providing the most effective colouring for their environment and lifestyle.”, it can be concluded that some creatures pass on their protective colouring through their genes. Hence, the answer is ‘protective colouring’.

7 Answer: blend in

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 1

Answer explanation: In the cited line, it is reported that “…all sorts of wildlife use background matching, also known as crypsis, to blend in with their surroundings.”. It can be concluded that, in background matching, the appearance of the creatures helps them to blend in with their environment. Hence, the answer is ‘blend in’.

8 Answer: alter their colouring

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2 – line 3

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines, it is stated that “Some animals have the ability to 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.”. These statements indicate that animals like the arctic fox and snowshoe hare alter their coloring according to the season or location to match their environment. Hence, the answer is ‘alter their coloring’.

9 Answer: on many backgrounds

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 2

Answer explanation: In Paragraph 3, it is noted that “Because background matching works only for a specific setting and often requires animals to 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.”. Based on the reference, it can be said that many animals cannot change their appearance, so they use a different strategy, which is having camouflage that helps them disguise themselves on many backgrounds. Hence, the answer is ‘on many backgrounds’.

10 Answer: stripes or spots

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 1-line 2

Answer explanation: In Paragraph 4, it is mentioned that “Disruptive coloration uses a pattern such as stripes or spots to disrupt the body outline. The pattern breaks up the contour of the animal’s body, confusing observers and making it difficult to distinguish an individual shape.”. It shows that many animals with disruptive coloration have markings such as stripes or spots, which make it difficult for a predator to distinguish the shape of an individual body. Hence, the answer is ‘stripes or spots’.

11 Answer: color-blind

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 8

Answer explanation: In the fourth paragraph, it is given that “The different colours of the grasses and zebras are no help to a lion, which is colour-blind.”. It can be inferred that even though the colour of the zebra (black and white) and the grass (green) are not similar, they can hide as the lion, which is their major predator, is colour-blind. Hence, the answer is ‘colour-blind’.

12 Answer: countershading

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 6, line 1

Answer explanation: In the quoted line, it is noted that “Counter-shading is useful to birds and marine animals that are typically seen against a light environment from below and against dark surroundings from above.”. Based on the reference, it can be said that countershading is a type of camouflage that helps hide birds and animals that are seen against a dark background from above or a lighter background from below. Hence, the answer is ‘countershading’.

13 Answer: black backs

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 6, line 5-line 6

Answer explanation: In the given line, it is mentioned that “Penguins also use counter-shading. Their white chests and black backs stand out on land but disappear in water where penguins spend most of their time.”. It can be said from this statement that penguins have black backs and white chests which help them to blend with the dark background of the water. Hence, the answer is ‘black backs’.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Above Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick tips to 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 to identify whether a statement is true, false, or not given in the passage. In order to answer them, follow the tips given below!

• The statements are presented chronologically. Move on to 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 to locate one.

Sentence/Summary Completion:

Sentence/Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to 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 to the words or phrases immediately before and after the gap to understand the context.
• Predict the Missing Words: Based on the context and clues, try to 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 to the grammar and word form in the sentence. Ensure that the words you choose to 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 to enhance your ability to identify suitable words for the gaps.

Great work on attempting to solve the reading passage! To crack IELTS Reading in the first go, try solving more of the recent IELTS reading passages here.

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