托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry.' Mimicry occurs when one species evolves to resemble another species, often to gain a survival advantage. There are two main types: Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species mimics a dangerous one to avoid predators, and Müllerian mimicry, where two harmful species mimic each other, which helps both because predators learn to avoid the pattern more quickly. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the scarlet king snake, which is harmless but has the same red, yellow, and black banding as the venomous coral snake. Predators that have learned to avoid coral snakes also avoid the king snake, giving it protection. Second, think about the monarch and viceroy butterflies. Monarchs are toxic to birds because they feed on milkweed, and viceroys are also distasteful, but less so. Over time, they have evolved to look very similar. Birds that eat a monarch get sick and learn to avoid both species, benefiting each. These examples show how mimicry can evolve in different ways to increase survival.