Warning Animal coloration

a venomous coral snake uses bright colours warn off potential predators.

warning coloration (aposematism) opposite of camouflage, , special case of advertising. function make animal, example wasp or coral snake, highly conspicuous potential predators, noticed, remembered, , avoided. peter forbes observes, human warning signs employ same colours – red, yellow, black, , white – nature uses advertise dangerous creatures. warning colours work being associated potential predators makes warning coloured animal unpleasant or dangerous. can achieved in several ways, being combination of:

the black , yellow warning colours of cinnabar moth caterpillar, tyria jacobaeae, instinctively avoided birds.



distasteful, example caterpillars, pupae , adults of cinnabar moth, monarch , variable checkerspot butterfly have bitter-tasting chemicals in blood. 1 monarch contains more enough digitalis-like toxin kill cat, while monarch extract makes starlings vomit.
foul-smelling, example skunk can eject liquid long-lasting , powerful odour
aggressive , able defend itself, example honey badgers.
venomous, example wasp can deliver painful sting, while snakes viper or coral snake can deliver fatal bite.

warning coloration can succeed either through inborn behaviour (instinct) on part of potential predators, or through learned avoidance. either can lead various forms of mimicry. experiments show avoidance learned in birds, mammals, lizards, , amphibians, birds such great tits have inborn avoidance of colours , patterns such black , yellow stripes.