How to hide from predators in plain sight? - disguise yourself as poop!

 

Can you tell which ones are boreal toads v. elk droppings?

In the high alpine wetlands, where young boreal toads grow up, they have to contend with predators like garter snakes and birds. After boreal toads metamorphose from the aquatic tadpole stage to the juvenile toad stage, they move up onto the banks of the wetland and they are each about the size of a nickel and dark brown. They also tend to snuggle together in small piles that distinctly look like elk droppings! Perhaps this is an adaptation to avoid predation while they are in a vulnerable life phase, recovering from the metamorphosis process and getting used to moving around on land. Their dark coloration may also help them absorb heat from the sun in the sometimes chilly weather up at 10,000 feet elevation. After some days of getting their land legs ready, they disperse from the wetland to hunt for small insects, and eventually go find a cozy spot deep underneath tree roots or rocks to overwinter. Personally, I find these tiny creatures to be incredibly tough because of the environment they live in and also hilarious in their clever disguise.