There’s a reason fashion designers look to animal prints for inspiration. Creatures have evolved a dizzying array of patterns: stripes, spots, diamonds, chevrons, hexagons and even mazelike designs.

For example, a cheetah’s tail is long and skinny; in that narrow space, the spots coalesce into stripes. “A simple mechanism can create an amazing, diverse and rich variety of patterns,” says Seita ...

Giraffes are best known for their towering necks, but their beautifully spotted coats are just as distinctive — and they serve important functions. So why do giraffes have spots? One reason is for ...

A new study suggests that the spot patterns decorating giraffes’ coats may serve a social function. Researchers, writing in the Journal of Zoology, found that female giraffes prefer to associate with ...