Innate Recognition of Coral Snake Pattern by a Possible Avian Predator
Abstract
Inexperienced hand-reared motmots avoided a pattern of red and yellow rings but readily attacked a pattern of green and blue rings and also one of red and yellow stripes. The motmots' avoidance of the "coral snake" pattern indicates that mimic snake species can derive protection from some potential predators.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- February 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.187.4178.759
- Bibcode:
- 1975Sci...187..759S