Designs and Patterns in Nature - Animals

Intricate rings and dots mark the coat of a jaguar (Panthera onca).

Photograph by Steve Winter

A moth's wings appear iridescent when photographed close-up in the Danum Valley Conservation Area in Sabah, Malaysia.

Photograph by Mattias Klum

A map puffer fish's (Arothron mappa) eye appears like coral to casual observers in Indonesia's Tukangbesi Islands.

Photograph by Tim Laman

A close view of a cheetah's wet coat

Photograph by Chris Johns

Black-and-white stripes ripple across the hide of a Grant's zebra.

Photograph by Tim Laman

The sensory glands on the side of an Arctic char are used by the fish during its annual spawning migration.

Photograph by Sam Abell

Boa constrictors use their heat-sensitive scales to locate prey.

Photograph by Rich Reid

Bird feathers create a colorful show.

Photograph by George Grall

An African elephant's skin can be up to one inch (2.5 centimeters) thick.

Photograph by Bobby Model

A giraffe's spots form irregular patterns.

Photograph by Michael Nichols