In many animals, skin colors and patterns play an essential role, whether for camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation.

Fred Kraus, a researcher in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan, was studying ...

To identify a copperhead, you can’t just go by color alone. Here’s what gives some copperheads a different look.

Kraus named the new species Aspidomorphus dimorphus, from the Greek words meaning “two forms” to reference the snake’s “unique” color pattern. Thousands of new species are found each year.