Wild Colors

Amur leopard
Panthera pardus orientalus

The monarch butterfly's (Danaus plexippus) orange coloration signals to predators that it's poisonous.

The bright yellow and orange stripes of Duellman's poison dart frog (Dendrobates duellmani) signal the frog's toxicity to would be predators.

Scan the photos on these pages. Take in the bold colors, the striking swatches of feather, fur and flesh. Notice how some of the creatures pop off the screen while others nearly disappear into their surroundings.

In comparison, we humans are a rather drab lot in appearance, a collection of beiges, browns and other earth tones. But we are surrounded by many other species that display a vivid palette of colors: reds, blues, oranges and greens, which wildlife use to survive.

“Animals use color as signaling,” says Kathryn Gamble, D.V.M., the zoo’s director of Veterinary Services. “And that signaling can be anything from ‘Look at me!’ to ‘Stay away!’ ”

From the multihued feathers of a paradise tanager that lure potential mates, to the gold stripes of the dyeing poison arrow frog that signal toxicity, to the sandy shades of the mottled sand grasshopper that cause the insect to all but vanish, nature wields a purposeful paintbrush.

Next: Attraction

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