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>> One thing I haven't figured out is why poisonous prey animals (frogs,
>> butterflies, etc) wind up being brightly colored.
>
> AFAIK the bright colors work as a warning signal. Predators learn to
> distinguish the poisonous prey by their color.
>
> It would make little sense to just have poison but otherwise look edible.
> Both predator and prey get killed. With a warning color both live.
>
> (By this logic it would follow that some species mimic the color of
> poisonous species. I wonder if there are examples of this.)
Hoverflies look very like wasps, but have no venom.
False nettles look like stinging nettles, but lack a sting.
I couldn't give you a name, but I'm pretty sure there are snakes which
are harmless yet mimic deadly ones...
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