When you’re a small animal in this big world, there are many dangers waiting behind every corner. So to stay alive to produce the next generation, many animals have developed ways of deterring potential predators or remaining hidden.
The most basic is bright colors. Although easily spotted, having bright colors in the animal kingdom indicates that they are poisonous to eat. Many animals use this method, particularly smaller, more delicate animals such as frogs or insects.
Another way of approaching survival is through fear and imitation. The very popular saying, “Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, friend of Jack.” is a perfect example of this. Coral snakes are known for their deadly poison and feared by many other creatures, including humans. So to stay alive, some other snake species abuse this common fear by imitating the appearance of the coral snake. Of course, it is not a perfect replica of the original, but it sure does work against most predators that frequently encounter the very deadly coral snake.