A photographic protocol for image sampling on the evaluation of color similarity between animal and substrate

Abstract

Camouflage has long intrigued scientists, who have been trying to quantify animal coloration. Recent advances in the field of computing allow the sampling and analysis of data from digital photographs. Thus, new quantitative studies on animal coloration have used these resources due to their practicality and accuracy. However, new methods and resources also bring new questions and challenges, in which improvement opportunities can be identified. In this study, we proposed a new sampling method and tested the influence of photographic parameters on a recent method for color similarity quantification between animal and substrate. Therefore, 135 digital photographs were obtained under controlled conditions and comparative tests were performed to test the proposed sampling method and differences caused by different photographic parameters. The results showed significant differences between the colors sampled with different methods and between photographs obtained under different photographic parameters.