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