托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about how animals use deception to survive. One common form is behavioral mimicry, where an animal imitates another species to gain an advantage. Take the alligator snapping turtle, for example. It has a worm-like appendage on its tongue that it wiggles to attract fish. When a fish comes close to eat the 'worm,' the turtle snaps it up. This is aggressive mimicry—the predator uses deception to lure prey. Another type is defensive mimicry, where prey imitates a dangerous or unpalatable species. The scarlet kingsnake, a harmless snake, has red, yellow, and black bands similar to the venomous coral snake. Predators that have learned to avoid coral snakes also avoid kingsnakes, giving the harmless snake protection. So, the main point is that animals use deceptive signals to deceive either predators or prey, and these strategies have evolved to increase their survival chances.