Question: what makes animals different colours and patterns?

Joanna Cruden answered on 18 Jun 2012:

It is all in the genes, although it also depends on habitat as animals will usually have camouflage (those that camouflage better will survive!) to blend into the environment, and the colouring of the parents will be transferred genetically to the off spring colour, sometimes there is a genetic mutation which can produce a different colouring, human intervention via selective breeding also widens the range of colours