Bad smell, Bad taste and Powerful Poision
Hiding, Camouflage, and Escape help many animals
stay out of the clutches of predators. Armor and other heavyduty
outsides help many animals survive being caught. A variety
of animals use another weapon: chemicals that ward off predators
or stop their attack after it has begun.
These chemicals may have a bad taste, a terriblesmell, or both. They may irritate the skin as well as the senses. They also may be poisonous. Some can sicken a predator, or even kill it.
Chemical defenses are secret weapons, in one way, because they are contained inside the animals. But many animals do not try to keep them secret. These animals often are brightly colored, which helps warn predators that they are armed and dangerous. They may also behave in ways that announce their intention to use chemical defenses if pushed.
A chemical defense may be a primary defense: a defense that exists all the time, even when the animal is not in any danger. A poisonous insect, for example, is poisonous all the time.
A chemical defense can also be a secondary defense: a defense that is put to work after the animal has been threatened or attacked. A skunk, for example, doesn’t always ooze bad-smelling fluid. First, it behaves in ways that warn the predator to go away. It will spray predators that do not heed the warning.
These chemicals may have a bad taste, a terriblesmell, or both. They may irritate the skin as well as the senses. They also may be poisonous. Some can sicken a predator, or even kill it.
Chemical defenses are secret weapons, in one way, because they are contained inside the animals. But many animals do not try to keep them secret. These animals often are brightly colored, which helps warn predators that they are armed and dangerous. They may also behave in ways that announce their intention to use chemical defenses if pushed.
A chemical defense may be a primary defense: a defense that exists all the time, even when the animal is not in any danger. A poisonous insect, for example, is poisonous all the time.
A chemical defense can also be a secondary defense: a defense that is put to work after the animal has been threatened or attacked. A skunk, for example, doesn’t always ooze bad-smelling fluid. First, it behaves in ways that warn the predator to go away. It will spray predators that do not heed the warning.
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