Konrad Wothe/Image Professionals GmbH/Alamy
Last Word is Âé¶¹´«Ã½â€™s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com
Why do many animals, such as mammals and birds, have white underbellies? (continued)
Anne Barnfield
London, Ontario, Canada
That many animals and birds have white undersides and coloured backs is probably for the same reason that fish are often paler underneath than on top – to make themselves less visible to predators or prey. Imagine a hawk flying…



