I thought it would be fun to try and find the camouflaged critter in the photo.
I'll start off the thread with the picture only, and If no one finds it right away, I can come in and tell you what your looking for as a hint.

Ok, here is the picture. Can you find it?

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okay.. that was difficult, but I found it!
My eyes searched for segmentation first (thorax, abdomen area). Found that, then noticed the antennae, head, abdomen, and legs.
I won't give location so others can have fun finding it.... either Praying Mantis or Walking Stick? Guessing Mantis by head shape. Both have exceptional camo.

Good eye Chris! It is an obscure ground mantid, and is very small (15-30 mm.) Timmy also has the good eye, as he was the one that found it. He brought it over to me on a little rock, and said "look a praying mantis, but its dead". It did appear dead, but I told him they sometimes play possum to keep from being eaten. I told him to just keep watching it while I went to go get my camera. All of a sudden I hear him say "Wow, it just twisted it's head and looked at me!" By the time I got back out there, it was standing up. I have never seen one this small, my dad had one when I was a kid but it was alot larger and green.

I placed it in the garden where it can find a new spot to be.
I will add a closer better picture of it later.

I have to admit. It did not come right out and poke me in the eyes. This one took a while. After I seen it I was all set to go 180 degrees out from Swizz, "just to cover all bases", and say stick. I figured it was a juvenile. But Mantid you say? Hmmmm.... That’s cool, More of the gooey stuff I didn't know. Woody.

yep it took me awhile but i finnaly found it. thats what i assumed it was going tobe when you said it was camoed, and i know what they look like but i didnt see it untill i enlarged the picture. now it just pops out at me!

Good eyes guys! The head is actually how Timmy knew it was a praying mantis.
Here is a picture of where it is located in the shot.

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Here is a close up side view of it.
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thats the first one ive seen thats is that color. the ones i see are green. that thing strained my ole eyeballs to find it! but heck, im old!

Too funny Russ. It's the first time I have seen these also.......and small they are. I have no idea how Timmy saw it.

One really needs to keep their eyes open, as you never know what might be right in front of you.


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Here's one for ya...

Ok, we've tried several times to look for what's in your's Oklapony but we can not seem to find it.......we give!
I've just not been able to pick up on anything scanning over the pic yet but I'm sure it would've bitten my nose several times by now.

Don't know how many others have tried without finding anything yet but I sure hope it's not just my old eyes goin' south!

It's a super tough one, for sure. It's a 14" brown trout that I had just released and it was resting before swimming off to mend its bruised ego. Honestly if I hadn't looked 3 times for the correct framing when I snapped the pic I wouldn't be able find it either. Their camouflage is astoundingly good, especially in rocky bottom creeks, even with good polarized lenses. Basically, in the pic, it looks like a ghost thanks to the rippling effect of the running creek but you can make out the tail. I'll try to carve out some time in the next day or so to edit the photo and draw a loop around it and repost.

Okay, here 'tis...

Sorry OlkaPony,

My vision must be impaired because I still don't see it. I think I will visit the optometrist and tell him for my next prescription I will need a Seeing Eye Dog. lol
Woody.

Took this shot yesterday while ice fishing on Lake Granby... looking toward Indian Peaks.

Can you see Abe Lincoln? (hint: he's taking a nap)

Laying down, looking up, center of the mountain range? chin to the left?

Great picture Swizz! I have to agree with Ken, thats the same spot I see him. I hope your fishing goes well!

Morning Chris, Hows the fishing?

Here is my guess.

Woody,
You nailed it 100%.

Seeing that last pic helps me think cold thoughts on a hot summer day.
Here is one......Not too hard, but it was definately hiding.

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That was a kinda tuff one! I blew it up to full size and at first I thought it was a Moose nostril, LOL.
I got it now.... cute lil bugger!
I've been having frequent animal encounters lately.
I'm doing a cabin small job near RMNP and startled a full size sleeping bull Moose early yesterday morning... actually, he startled me, accidentally too close and I didn't even see him... so I've got Moose on the brain.
We're having an incredibly bad Bear season here this year because they are lacking berries bigtime. Can set your watch for 10:15 every night and they begin raiding. Big, small, medium... the whole gang. I have a dumpster at the end of the driveway. Heard one messing with it a week or so ago and I was pissed. It was a bright moon (almost full) so I could see well. Went out and the damn thing was as big as the dumpster. I fired off a couple rounds into the night sky with the .40 and he ski-daddled, but keeps coming back. Poor things are really hungry and I feel for em I don't care as much about the trash as do do my dog... she's tied up out there sometimes and is gettin old. Dumpster is locked but they are strong enough to tip it over while trying. I heard over a dozen random shots the other night from town so I know I aint the only one. Some people have been authorized to use .12 ga rubber slugs. I have an air horn now and will try that next. That drought has caused a chain reaction of problems in the animal kingdom.

Here is a couple good ones for ya that I found online.

Great pics! I can see the lyzard in the first one and the really cool caterpillar in the second one. The blenders are definately working well!

Here is one I took the other day.

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Was that last one too hard for everyone? I thought it was king of easy myself!
Here is another with lots of tree cover.......Can you see it?

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Cow Elk?

Cow Elk. Had to enlarge to full size before I caught that one. Tricky.
I like the Deer one prior also... not too hard, that one was easy.

Definitely cow elk. Great shot!

looking at all of these neat pictures kinda reminds me of me when the word "work" is spoken in my presence!:)

It is a Cow Elk. Good eyes! I spotted her while Dan was driving but he was the one who took the picture.


You crack me up Russ!!

:)!

Thanks for the compliments guys, always love seeing elk and or deer after a hard day cuttin' trees. She was only a couple hundred yards down the road from our cutting spot, just slid the truck into neutral and shut it down (kinda loud ol' beast), then she decided she would stay but was very watchful of my picture takin' zings and whirs!

I think that was the same one giving me a fashion show when you were busy cutting the other day. Wonder where her boy friend has been hiding? He's out there somewhere close!

Almost the exact same spot as the last picture, just the other side of the road. Can you see it?

Oh, deer.

Nice rack on him.

It is a nice buck! The buck that was to the left of him was twice the size with an award winning rack though. He was beautiful!!! By the time I grabbed the camera, the smaller guy was the only one left in the shot.......at least as far as I can tell looking at the picture. CP also got a good look at him before he took off into the brush.

That's why the really nice ones are called "Ghosts". You done got "Ghosted"! and it's not even Halloween yet......

Caveman! Not the first time this week though even. Had a huge owl swoop down at me at 3 in the morning from the cat tree then disappeared. Scared the wits out of me! Was huge! Now that thing can eat a bunny...no problem!

Here is a smaller area for a "can you see it?".................Well! Can you see it?

Got lots of those "toads" here!

Good eye! Here is a pic with the weed pulled away so you can see it. These guys are pretty tiny but as you can see by it's belly, it has been eating lots of ants.

Picked one up a few days ago - little guy wrapped around my finger and hung on for a while..... must have liked the warmth on a cool morning!

Awww cute! Some cool mornings lately too that's for sure!

Ok, this is an easy one!
Someone had all four legs sprawled out and was taking a nap near the top of a tree... totally crashed out, didn't even know I was down there below.
This is as close as I could zoom with the phone camera, not too hard to figure out who this guy is.

Great picture Chris! I have never seen a porky sleeping in a tree before, thanks.

Me neither! He actually looked really comfortable.

Finally spotted that bull with his ladies. He didn't like us being there though! He had a huge neck!!!

What an awesome pic Denise!!

Thanks Chris! There were several more ladies but they had already started to leave to the left when I took the picture.

I'm still thrown by your porcupine sleeping in the tree pic.
Now that's talent!!

What Chris said! Man, that guy's big. Chris, great pic of the porcy!

Here is a little bit of a different one.....Can you see it?

YES! Not the rabbit though..... I had to enlarge your pic to find it.
That was a really good one.