So before I found photography I wanted to be a Herpetologist.

Color is one of the best ways to tell if a reptile/amphibian is venomous. Growing up I was always taught the phrase "If red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. If red touches black, you're ok Jack." This was used to tell the difference between a venomous coral snake and others that look similar.


(Picture from http://www.mun.ca/biology/scarr/Coral_snake_mimics.gif)

These differences in color is what helps hundreds of people (including me) in America determine if a snake can kill them. But color is not only helpful in identifying snakes, it also identifies poisonous frogs. Not all colorful frogs are poisonous, but it's a safe bet. The poison dart frog is the most common, and is found in South America. The bright colors are warning signs to predators.

Colors are used not only to send signals to humans (like my red DANGER blog) but it also works in the animal kingdom. Except unlike our society, they are naturally prone to it. All species automatically recognize "bright colors are bad."


Want some proof?
http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/snakes/coral_snake.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_dart_frog