Larger frogs are better mimics but are more risk-averse in a non-toxic poison frog

Aposematic species signal to potential predators with salient and recognisable colouration. Predators learn to associate these warning signals with secondary defences (e.g., toxins) and will subsequently avoid attacking aposematic prey. Warning signals can therefore reduce the need to hide and/or flee and alleviate some of the energetic/opportunity costs of predator avoidance. Consequently, aposematic species are frequently active and bold in behaviour. Batesian mimics replicate the colours, and often the behaviour, of aposematic species and may benefit from a similar reduction in predation risk and energetic/opportunity costs. Allobates zaparo (Aromobatidae) is a non-toxic Batesian mimic of the chemically defended poison frog *Ameerega bilinguis *(Dendrobatidae). However, the efficacy of mimicry appears to change throughout ontogeny as Al. zaparo develops from a seemingly cryptic juvenile to the mimetic adult. We examined how morphological mimicry (i.e., colour) and the propensity to e..., , # Data from: Larger frogs are better mimics but are more risk-averse in a non-toxic poison frog

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.905qfttxx](10.5061/dryad.905qfttxx)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

#### File: McEwen-etal-2025_BehaviourVideos.zip

**Description:** Original videos (.mp4) of frog behaviour in from the Novel Environment Test experiment (n = 351). See McEwen-etal-2025_BehaviourData.csv to link video filenames to experimental trial.

#### File: McEwen-etal-2025_FrogPhotos.zip

**Description:** Original RAW images (.NEF) of frogs used in the visual modelling (BIL = *Ameerega bilinguis* (n = 5); ZAP = *Allobates zaparo* (n=90)). See McEwen-etal-2025_BehaviourData.csv to link photograph filenames to frog data.

#### File: McEwen-etal-2025_BehaviourData.csv

**Description:** 

##### Variables

* FocalFrog: Unique numeric code for each individual frog.
* vids: The video file from which data were extracted.
* Batch: Frogs within a* Batch* were co...,