aposematic coloration
noun phrase
Meaning
Warning signals, typically bright colors or high-contrast patterns, used by animals to advertise their unpalatability or toxicity to potential predators.
Examples
- Many poisonous frogs use aposematic coloration to signal their danger to predators in the rainforest.
- The evolution of aposematic coloration provides a clear survival advantage by reducing the frequency of predator attacks.
Synonyms: warning coloration, warning signal, aposematism, warning display