Emsleyan mimicry

[4] Sheppard points out that Hecht and Marien had put forward a similar hypothesis ten years earlier.

In other words, there is no advantage in being aposematic for an organism that is likely to kill any predator it succeeds in poisoning; such an animal is better off being camouflaged, to avoid attacks altogether.

[5][6] Non-Emsleyan mechanisms that achieve the observed result, namely that predators avoid extremely deadly prey, are possible.

Hand-reared turquoise-browed motmots (Eumomota superciliosa), avian predators, instinctively avoid snakes with red and yellow rings.

However, models with red and yellow rings were feared, with the birds flying away and giving alarm calls in some cases.