托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry,' where one species evolves to resemble another. The main point I want to emphasize is that mimicry can serve different purposes depending on the species involved. Let me give you two examples to illustrate this. First, consider the harmless milk snake. It has evolved to look very similar to the deadly coral snake. This is called Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species imitates a dangerous one to fool predators. Because predators learn to avoid the bright red, yellow, and black bands of the coral snake, they also avoid the milk snake, giving it protection without actually being venomous. Now, for a second example, look at the monarch butterfly and the viceroy butterfly. Both are toxic or distasteful to birds, but they look alike. This is called Müllerian mimicry, where two or more unpalatable species resemble each other. By sharing the same warning pattern, they reinforce the lesson for predators—if a bird eats one monarch, it will avoid all similar-looking butterflies, which benefits both species. So, you see, mimicry is not a one-size-fits-all strategy; it can be either deceptive or cooperative, depending on the ecological context.