Terrick and colleagues (1995) offered garter snakes (Thamnophis radix) fish presented on aposematically colored forceps or fish presented on nonaposematically colored forceps. The snakes were then injected with lithium chloride, which made them ill. The snakes that had been offered fish on aposematically colored forceps had a much longer-lasting aversion to fish than those that had been offered fish on the nonaposematically colored forceps. This suggests that the response of at least some predators to aposematic coloration may be

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The experiment demonstrates that the snakes learned to associate the aposematically colored forceps with the negative experience of illness, leading to a longer-lasting aversion to fish presented in this manner. This indicates that the response to aposematic coloration can be learned rather than being purely innate, instantaneous, or based on the olfactory system.

Terrick and Colleagues (1995) Offered Garter Snakes (Thamnophis Radix) Fish