托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating behavior in the animal kingdom known as 'mimicry.' But not the kind you might think of—like a butterfly looking like a leaf. I want to focus on what we call 'aggressive mimicry,' where a predator uses mimicry to lure in its prey. Now, the key point here is that aggressive mimicry often involves deceiving the prey by imitating something that is attractive or harmless to them, rather than imitating a predator. Let me give you two clear examples. First, consider the anglerfish. It lives in the deep, dark ocean where light is scarce. The anglerfish has a fleshy growth on its head that glows, and it dangles this in front of its mouth. Smaller fish are attracted to the light, thinking it's a tasty snack or a small creature. When they get close, the anglerfish snaps them up. Second, think about the bolas spider. This spider produces a chemical that mimics the sex pheromone of a female moth. Male moths, seeking a mate, fly toward the scent. When they get close, the spider swings a sticky ball on a thread to capture them. So in both cases, the predator uses imitation to exploit the prey's natural attractions—light or pheromones—to bring the prey within striking distance.