Warning coloration might be associated with mimicry. If you were a very tasty prey item, it might be to your advantage to look like another animal which is dangerous or bad tasting. This type of coloration is used to attract a mate. Examples include many male birds, such as peacocks, pheasants, and many types of ducks. Although it is usually the male bird which possesses the bright coloration, the situation is reversed in some species in which the female is polygamous and the male does the incubation.
Coloration tends to be darker in humid climates and lighter in arid climates.
Be sure you understand the function of each type of bird bill illustrated on page 82. In mammals, teeth vary in size, shape, number, and function. Depending on what the animal eats, it may have teeth specialized for cutting, tearing, grinding, shearing, or gnawing. The teeth of the porpoise, seal, deer, cat, rabbit, and anteater illustrate some of these different kinds of teeth. We can't tell how good an animal's eyesight is just by looking at the animal, but we can get some information by looking at the placement of the eyes.