A close-up shot shows a small, brown Japanese pika peeking out from behind thick, heavily textured tree branches encrusted with pale green lichen and dark green moss. The gnarled branches frame the animal, while the background falls into a soft, hazy blue and gray out-of-focus mist.

A Japanese Pika (Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis) blending seamlessly into a lichen-covered sub-alpine tree.

Hidden in the Bark

In the fractured, sub-alpine canopy of Hokkaido's volatile interior, the line between animal and landscape blurs to near invisibility.

David S. McMeans

Mount Tomuraushi, Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan.

Image

Channels

Hidden in the Bark

In the fractured, sub-alpine canopy of Hokkaido's volatile interior, the line between animal and landscape blurs to near invisibility. Nestled deep within an intricate lattice of gnarled, ancient branches, a Japanese pika uses its mottled, earth-toned fur to mimic the very textures of its surroundings. The weathered wood acts as a living shield, encrusted with thick carpets of emerald moss and pale, flaky crustose lichens that thrive on the perpetual high-altitude moisture. In this damp, shadowy maze where freezing mountain mists constantly swallow the peaks, this diminutive lagomorph avoids the keen eyes of predatory raptors by becoming a literal extension of the forest itself. It is a striking display of camouflage, highlighting how even the smallest creatures can transform the rugged, unforgiving architecture of Japan's wilderness into a perfect, undetectable sanctuary.

Open the photograph page