When it comes to the darkest animals on the planet, there are a few key contenders that stand out due to their extremely dark coloring and ability to blend into shadows and the night. Finding the definitive darkest animal is difficult as there are many factors that contribute to an animal’s darkness including pigmentation, habitat, evolution and more. In this article, we will explore some of the top contenders for the title of “darkest animal on earth” by looking at creatures with dark pigmentation, camouflage abilities, and those that thrive at night.
Dark Pigmentation
One of the most obvious traits of a dark animal is the pigmentation of its skin, fur or feathers. Melanin is a pigment that controls coloration and the more melanin an animal produces, the darker its appearance. Here are some animals that produce a lot of melanin, making them extra dark:
– Black Panther: The black panther is unique for its excessively dark black coat. Its color is the result of a genetic mutation that causes a surplus of melanin. Native to Asia, Africa and the Americas, the black panther’s dark pigment allows it to disappear into the shadows of its forest habitat.
– Black Mamba: The venomous black mamba snake of Africa gets its name from its inky black mouth and scales. Its skin contains a high amount of melanin, making it distinctly darker than other snakes. This aids its abilities as a stealthy predator and ambush hunter.
– Malayan Tapir: Native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, the Malayan tapir has a black coat and white saddle-shaped marking. Its dark fur helps provide camouflage at night near watering holes and in dense jungle. Tapirs with more melanin tend to be darker overall.
– Black Jaguar: Also known as the panthera onca, this rare color variant of the jaguar sports a coat so dark it appears totally black at a distance. Only 6% of jaguars are black due to a recessive gene mutation. Their extra melanin suits their predatory lifestyle.
Maximizing Camouflage
In addition to producing melanin, some animals have evolved other ways to appear extra dark as an adaptive camouflage technique. Their special markings, layered colors and counter-illumination allow them to disappear against dark backgrounds.
– Thorny Devil: This Australian lizard has an extremely spiky and dark appearance. Its skin is covered in thousands of conical spines that are layered in black and brown. This helps the thorny devil blend into desert environments by breaking up its outline.
– Great Gray Owl: One of the darkest owl species, the great gray owl has layered black, brown, white and gray plumage. The darker upperparts allow it to blend into the shaded canopy as it hunts, while the barred markings camouflage it against tree bark.
– Cookiecutter Shark: A small but vicious shark species, the cookiecutter has a dark brown back and belly that allows it to blend into the dark ocean depths. A stripe along the sides interrupts its outline, making it near-invisible until it strikes prey.
– Black Cod: Also known as sablefish, these deep sea fish are virtually black from head to tail. Their dark camouflage allows them to disappear 600-3000 feet under the ocean surface in the low light conditions where they live and hunt.
Nocturnal Behavior & Habitat
Animals that are active at night in naturally darker environments also tend to have darker pigmentation and camouflage to capitalize on their niche habitats. Here are some of the darkest nocturnal creatures:
– Owls: As night hunters, owls rely on cryptic plumage to help them ambush prey under cover of darkness. Species like the great gray owl have layered patterns in black, brown, white and gray that disappear into moonlit forests.
– Bats: Over 1,200 bat species fill night skies. Their dark brown or black fur allows them to evade predators and stealthily swoop in on unsuspecting insect prey. Bats that roost in caves blend into dark rock crevices.
– Moths: Most moths are nocturnal and use drab or dark camouflage patterns in charcoal, brown, black and gray to hide from predators while resting during the day. Underwing moths reveal bright colors when flying at night.
– Leatherback Sea Turtle: As the deepest divers of all sea turtles, leatherbacks have dark blue-black backs that disguise them in deep, dark waters. A pink spot underneath also disguises their silhouette from below.
Darkness as Defense
For some animals, extreme darkness serves as an active defense mechanism to startle predators or camouflage themselves as a defence mechanism. This includes:
– Hagfish: When threatened, hagfish release a mucus that expands rapidly in water, creating a cloud of sticky slime. The slime is made of tiny dark fibers that turn the water black and opaque, obscuring the hagfish from view.
– Vampire Squid: True to its name, the vampire squid uses darkness as a defence. It can invert its gelatinous black caped arms over its body to disappear against the lightless ocean depths where it lives.
– Horned Lizards: Some species of horned lizards can constrict blood vessels in concentrated spots to appear splotchy and dark when threatened. This helps them vanish against dark desert sands to avoid predators.
– Pygmy Seahorses: To camouflage themselves on sea fans and coral, these tiny seahorses can instantaneously change color from pale to jet black to match their surroundings. Their dark colors seamlessly disguise them.
The Darkest of All – The Black Dragonfish
Based on all these dark traits – from pigmentation and camouflage to nocturnal habits and defensivedarkening – the black dragonfish emerges as the darkest animal in the ocean depths and possibly on Earth. Here’s why this strange fish earns the top spot:
– Jet black skin covered in photophores to match the darkness of its deep sea environment
– Large black eyes that see infrared light to hunt in pure blackness
– Deep red mouths and fangs that remain obscured by darkness until ready to strike
– Black camouflage that conceals it from prey and predators
– Lives at depths of up to 4000 feet where light never reaches
With its entire body adapted to blend into the pitch black waters where sunlight cannot penetrate, the black dragonfish is likely the true darkest animal in the world. Its black camouflage confers near-perfect invisibility in the darkness of its extreme environment.
| Animal | Dark Trait |
|---|---|
| Black Panther | Excess melanin pigmentation |
| Black Mamba | Melanin-rich black scales |
| Malayan Tapir | Dark fur provides jungle camouflage |
Conclusion
While many creatures around the world exhibit extremely dark traits for camouflage and survival, the black dragonfish stands out as the darkest of all with its totally light-absorbing black pigment, infrared vision, hidden red bioluminescence and residence in the blackest depths of the ocean. The black dragonfish shows how an animal can exploit darkness to the fullest extent as a tactical advantage in its habitat. Its supremely dark colors and adaptations allow it to disappear into places of permanent midnight where it thrives as a successful predator. So for exhibiting the most extensive biological mastery over all aspects of darkness, the deep sea black dragonfish wins the title of the darkest animal on planet Earth.
