托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'anti-predator adaptation'—specifically, how some prey species have evolved to trick their predators rather than simply fleeing or fighting. One common trick is 'startle display,' where an animal suddenly reveals a surprising feature to scare off a predator. For example, the peacock butterfly has large eye-like spots on its wings. When a bird approaches, the butterfly quickly opens its wings, and the sudden appearance of what looks like a predator's eyes makes the bird hesitate, giving the butterfly time to escape. Another trick is 'mimicry of a dangerous animal.' The hawk moth caterpillar, when threatened, inflates its head and thorax to look like a snake, complete with fake eye spots. This makes small birds, which are natural predators, think they're facing a venomous snake and retreat. So, the main point is that prey animals often use deceptive visual signals to survive, not just speed or strength.