warning coloration

American  

noun

Biology.

1. a bold, distinctive pattern of color characteristic of a poisonous or unpalatable organism, as the skunk or the monarch butterfly, that functions as a warning to and defense against predators.

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warning coloration Scientific  

/ wôr′nĭng /

1. Conspicuously recognizable markings of an animal that serve to warn potential predators of the nuisance or harm that would come from attacking or eating it. The bold patterns of skunks and the bright colors of poison arrow frogs are examples of warning coloration.

2. Also called aposematic coloration

3. Compare camouflage

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Etymology

Origin of warning coloration

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Many organisms have developed defenses against predation and herbivory, including mechanical defenses, warning coloration, and mimicry, as a result of evolution and the interaction with other members of the community.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In some cases of mimicry, a harmless species imitates the warning coloration of a harmful species.

From Textbooks • Sep. 6, 2018

This type of defensive mechanism is called aposematic coloration, or warning coloration.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

These are only two examples of warning coloration, which is a relatively common adaptation.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

The most interesting and most conclusive example of warning coloration is, however, furnished by caterpillars, because in this case the facts have been carefully ascertained experimentally by competent observers.

From Darwinism (1889) by Wallace, Alfred Russel