Aposematism

What is aposematism? The word comes from the Greek apo (away) and sema (sign) and describes a strategy whereby animals warn predators about their unprofitability. It consists of two elements: a primary defence, such as distinctive colours, odours or sounds, that operates before the predator attacks; and a secondary defence, be it chemical, morphological or behavioural that make prey unprofitable for predators. For example, the bright colours of many animals, such as poison frogs and wood tiger moths, warn predators about their toxic or distasteful chemical defences. When predators encounter and attack them in the wild, the prey will provoke a bad experience that the predator will learn to associate with the prey’s colouration. As a result, predators will start to avoid defended prey. After several Quick guide