What is the appropriate pigmentation for a stealthy, nocturnal race?

I am building a nocturnal humanoid race for my science-fantasy setting. They are slight, quick, sneaky and very good at being unobtrusive. They are pretty much the goblins of my setting; though not as small as goblins are often depicted or viewed as vermin.

With truth being stranger than fiction, I'd like this race to have realistic skin, eye and hair pigmentation for a nocturnal race. Given that black is actually poor nighttime camouflage, just copying the Drow's obsidian black skin is out.

My initial idea for this race was for their skin color to be a molted swirl of colors that similar was to camouflage-pattern; even if plausible that would still leave hair an eye color in question.

So should the pigmentation for a nocturnal race be?

posted almost 8 years ago

Trismegistus‭

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