One Warning for All

One Warning for All
A gazellethat stamps its foot or stots (jumps high into the air) sends two important messages to a predator. First, the gazellehas seen the predator, so the predator has lost its chance to launch a surprise attack. second, the gazelleis strong and healthy, so it would be a waste of time to chase it. this kind of warning is called pursuit deterrence.

Pursuit deterrence is different from aposematism, the use of warning colors or other signals to keep predators away. A gazellethat uses pursuit deterrence tells a predator that it is a strong, healthy individual at that particular moment. it does not mean that the predator should give up hunting gazelles altogether.

An aposematic animal, however, has a smell, taste, or color pattern that advertises how poor-tasting, poisonous, or dangerous it is—just like all the rest of its species. if a predator has tried to eat another individual of the same species in the past, it knows that this individual will present the same problems. warning colors and other signals announce that every member of the species should be avoided at all times.