White Sands New Mexico is named for the beautiful white sand

White Sands, New Mexico, is named for the beautiful white sands found in this area of the desert Many lizards are hunted by predatory birds within this area. What color would you expect the lizards to be inside the sandy area? Explain your thoughts.

Solution

The sands of White Sands, New Mexico are white in color. The predatory birds would scan the sands to see any lizards moving on the sands. The terrain has very little or no tree cover so visibility for the predator is high.

Under such an environment, the success of the prey would be in blending with the environment. Therefore, any color that helps it to camouflage with the environment would provide the lizard with a survival advantage. The lizards in the sandy area should be white. It the lizards are of any other color , they would provide a contrast against the sand and would be eaten by the birds.