托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about how some animals use camouflage not just to hide, but to actively deceive predators or prey. This is called 'aggressive mimicry' when it helps the animal hunt, or 'defensive mimicry' when it helps the animal avoid being eaten. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the anglerfish. It lives in deep, dark ocean waters. It has a fleshy growth on its head that glows and wiggles like a small fish. When a prey fish approaches to eat this 'bait,' the anglerfish snaps it up. So here, the mimicry is used to attract and capture prey. Second, think about the scarlet king snake, which is harmless. It has bright red, yellow, and black bands, very similar to the venomous coral snake. Predators, like birds, have learned to avoid coral snakes because of their dangerous bite. So by mimicking the coral snake's warning colors, the king snake deters predators without being dangerous itself. In both cases, appearance isn't just for hiding—it's for active deception.