Pythons, moths and frogs exhibit camouflage that hides their identity, even after they have been spotted.

The study by Abertay University and the Stirling University challenges the theory that a predator immediately recognises its prey as soon as they see it.

The research reveals that the appearance of animals with "edge-enhanced disruptive colouration" makes animals harder to identify.

This pattern of colouration appears to slow the process of recognition.

Dr Rebecca Sharman said: "In the past, it has been assumed that if you can detect where a target is, you must also know what it is. For the first time, we show that this is not the case.

"Edge-enhanced disruptive colouration not only makes targets harder to find, but also harder to identify: just because you know where something is, does not mean that you know what it is."