Generalist camouflage can be more successful than microhabitat specialisation in natural environments

Abstract Background Crypsis by background-matching is a critical form of anti-predator defence for animals exposed to visual predators, but achieving effective camouflage in patchy and variable natural environments not straightforward. To cope with heterogeneous backgrounds, could either specialise on particular microhabitat patches, appearing cryptic some areas mismatching others, or adopt compromise strategy, providing partial matching across different patch types. Existing studies have tested the effectiveness strategies only limited set circumstances, primarily small targets varying pattern, usually screen-based tasks. Here, we measured detection risk associated relatively large targets, human observers searching them scenes, focusing colour. Model prey were designed ‘specialise’ colour common ‘generalise’ average whole scenes. Results In both field an equivalent online computer-based search task, adopting generalist strategy more successful evading than those patches. This advantage occurred because, all possible locations these experiments, typically viewed against patchwork areas; putatively thus similar their various immediate surroundings specialists. Conclusions Demonstrating close agreement between results experiments provides useful validation citizen science methods commonly used test principles camouflage, at least observers. finding survival benefit scenes our chosen environment, highlight importance relative scales determining optimal strategies, suggest how coloration can succeed nature.