Bullfrog: “Perhaps if I hold very, very still… breeep!”

Though obvious in these pictures, quite a few animals can become invisible by matching their environment to their color. A bullfrog, waiting for prey to come a bit too close or for his own protection against predators, may sit quietly in duckweed. If the frog holds still enough, perhaps he will be overlooked and gain a meal or avoid becoming one. The green dragonfly, also a predator, has the same advantages if it alights among green plant leaves. The dragonfly, by the way, was much harder to spot than the frog! These animals were spotted at the Columbia Reservation of the Lorain County Metroparks hiding in plain sight.

Dragonfly: “Perhaps if I hold very, very still…. buzzzzzip!”

American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) — Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis) female.