Warning

Bright colors and brilliant patterns can also send a clear signal: “Stay away!” If a predator ignores these loud decorations, it will have very bad dining experience.

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar

Striped like a tiger in orange and black, cinnabar moth caterpillars keep most birds away. That’s because the plants that these caterpillars eat make them a revolting snack.

Redback Spider

This Aussie relative to the black widow spider shares one important feature. The female has a red stripe on her abdomen. Just like their cousins’ red hourglass, it means keep away. One bite can cause terrible nausea, vomiting, and pain.

Skunk

The sight of these striped “polecats” strikes fear even in the largest bears. The skunk’s distinct black-and-white pattern is a warning: stay away unless you want to be sprayed with a foul-smelling liquid.