5 Blue Animals

Blue animals are rare, although a few can be found in the sky and in the water. Why is this? Basically because of the pigments present in nature – mostly reddish, brown or black. In this article we’ll tell you about some exceptions.

How many blue animals are there?

Although certain plants have blue pigments, most animals are unable to maintain them. As such, species with this color are very uncommon and in some cases the shade is just an effect of the sun or light on their scales or feathers.

1. The blue morpho butterfly

This is one of the blue-colored animals that ‘tricks’ us, since its wings are actually violet (to see this you need a very powerful microscope). However, when its tiny scales come into contact with the sun, they reflect bluish tones.

The blue morpho butterfly – like the one in the photo at the top of this article – is native to Latin America. It’s quite large: it can measure up to six inches. Adults feed on fruit nectar during the day and the larvae eat plants at night.

2. The blue jay

The blue jay is part of the corvid family, native to North America, specifically the central western area of the subcontinent. It prefers mixed beech and oak forests, but can also be seen in parks and gardens in some cities. It feeds on fruits, seeds, and invertebrates, and is known to destroy the nests of other birds.

Its plumage is bluish and turquoise on its back and white on its belly, with black spots on its neck and the sides of its head. The blue jay can sing different melodies and tones; the best known is its alarm voice, a loud cry similar to that of the seagull.

3. The moon jellyfish

The common or moon jellyfish is another blue-colored animal that exists in nature, but whose tone can vary between white and pink. It lives almost everywhere in the world, except for the cold waters of the poles, and prefers coastal areas near reefs and temperatures between 48 and 68°F.

Moon jellyfish have a cup-shaped body with a diameter of about sixteen inches and swim by contracting their body in an undulating manner. They can reproduce both asexually and sexually, feed on plankton and are harmless to humans.

4. The blue arrow frog

This small amphibian that lives in the south of Suriname and in Brazil–only at altitudes of up to 1300 feet above sea level–has a hue that ranges from light blue to dark purple with black spots (each individual has a different pattern).

The blue arrow frog measures about two inches–females are larger than males–and spends most of its life near freshwater sources. It can be very territorial and aggressive, and its skin is toxic due to the insects it feeds on.

5. The blue heron

The last of the blue animals on this list is a bird that inhabits most of the Americas. It can be found year-round in South America and southern Central America, it nests in the southeastern United States and it spends winters in Mexico and northern Central America.

The blue heron belongs to the pelican family and can measure up to 24 inches. Curiously, it changes its color as it grows: when it’s born it’s white and its plumage becomes bluish when it matures sexually. It feeds on fish, frogs, and insects that it captures with its long bill. Blue herons live in groups; they’re monogamous and the females lay up to seven eggs per year.