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      Distance-dependent defensive coloration in the poison frogDendrobates tinctorius, Dendrobatidae

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          Abstract

          <p id="d4292337e198">Poison dart frogs are well known for their deadly toxins and bright colors; they are a classic example of warning coloration. However, conspicuousness is not the only consideration; defensive coloration must be effective against a diverse predator community with a variety of different visual systems, and variable knowledge of prey defenses and motivation to attack. We found that the bright colors of <i>Dendrobates tinctorius</i> are highly salient at close-range but blend together to match the background when viewed from a distance. <i>D. tinctorius</i> combines aposematism and camouflage without necessarily compromising the efficacy of either strategy, producing bright colors while reducing encounters with predators. These data highlight the importance of incorporating viewing distance and pattern distribution into studies of signal design. </p><p class="first" id="d4292337e207">Poison dart frogs provide classic examples of warning signals: potent toxins signaled by distinctive, conspicuous coloration. We show that, counterintuitively, the bright yellow and blue-black color of <i>Dendrobates tinctorius</i> (Dendrobatidae) also provides camouflage. Through computational modeling of predator vision, and a screen-based detection experiment presenting frogs at different spatial resolutions, we demonstrate that at close range the frog is highly detectable, but from a distance the colors blend together, forming effective camouflage. This result was corroborated with an in situ experiment, which found survival to be background-dependent, a feature more associated with camouflage than aposematism. Our results suggest that in <i>D. tinctorius</i> the distribution of pattern elements, and the particular colors expressed, act as a highly salient close range aposematic signal, while simultaneously minimizing detectability to distant observers. </p>

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          Relations between the statistics of natural images and the response properties of cortical cells

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            Using digital photography to study animal coloration

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              A Predator’s View of Animal Color Patterns

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
                Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
                Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
                0027-8424
                1091-6490
                June 04 2018
                : 201800826
                Article
                10.1073/pnas.1800826115
                6016827
                29866847
                ca6130f5-ea0b-4b71-b099-ac3ab11d19c2
                © 2018

                Free to read

                http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/userlicense.xhtml

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