Animal Powers
Leap the warning.
Animals grouped here express a similar power through their behavior in nature. Each species still has its own principle, lesson, meaning, and field-guide page.
24 species
Species principle: Assertion
Leap the warning.
A body can speak before danger has to touch it.
Springboks perform high stiff-legged leaps called pronking or stotting, often associated with alarm, display, social signaling, or showing vigor in open grasslands.
Species principle: Strawberry Warning
Wear the red.
Make danger understand early.
Strawberry poison dart frogs use bright aposematic coloration to warn predators of chemical defenses.
Species principle: Boundary
Warn before war.
The cleanest conflict is the one your warning prevents.
Striped Skunks usually warn before spraying. Tail raising, stamping, posture, and their bold stripe pattern give threats a chance to retreat before the skunk uses chemical defense.
Species principle: Visibility
Be seen as warning.
Being seen can be safer than trying to disappear.
Tomato Frogs use bright red-orange coloration and sticky defensive secretions to discourage predators. Their visible color can function as a warning signal.
Species principle: Aposematism
Wear the warning.
Bright warning saves energy by teaching the world not to touch.
Velvet Ants are wingless female wasps with bright warning coloration, tough bodies, stridulation, and powerful stings that deter predators.
Species principle: Warning
Show the stripe.
A clear signal can end trouble before strength is tested.
Zorillas, also called striped polecats, use bold black-and-white warning coloration and powerful anal scent glands to deter predators before direct conflict is needed.
