BIOL 1902 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Aposematism, Skink, Hornet
9 Sep 2017
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Has bright blue tail to attract predator attention when under attack. Tail comes off to fool predator and allows skink to escape. Animals with same aposematic coloration with some form of defense, but are unrelated. Viceroy is edible but looks same as monarch. Animals that are non-toxic copy pattern of toxic animal. Toxic animal = model, non-toxic = mimic. Ex: bumble bee vs hover fly, honeybee vs hover fly, bald-faced hornet vs hover fly. Big group of insects that hover around flowers. # of models > # of mimics. Models and mimics must occur at same time of year. American toads have the toxin bufotalin in skin glands. Has second defense: they puff up and look larger, harder for snakes to swallow them (behavioural defences) Plan a: puff up and look larger. Yellowjacket wasps release attack pheromones to summon troops. Small birds give alarm calls to summon other birds to help attack bigger bird.
