When you get the chance to travel to a rainforest in Southeast Asia, do keep a keen eye for dead leaves. That's because some of them might be special. These special dead leaves can spring back up to life, you see. The reason? They're not really dead in the first place. They're not leaves, either. They're a species of butterflies called the Kallima inachus. But they are called "dead leaves" or "oak leaves."
Kallima inachus butterflies are usually found flying through the undergrowth and along streams, feeding on tree sap, puddles, and ripe fruits. Once they sense danger, these butterflies suddenly drop into the foliage, close their eyes, and stop moving to avoid detection. Their strategy is, unsurprisingly, effective against the birds that seek to eat them. Thanks to the veins in the underside of their wings that resemble the veins of a leaf, and with the white and black spots on their wings that look like mold and lichen, a Kallima inachus can pull off the most convincing disguise.
These butterflies are found in various countries in South Asia (India, Bhutan, Bangladesh), East Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan), and Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.)
(Image Credit: Hsu Hong Lin/ Wikimedia Commons)