托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry.' Now, mimicry is when one species evolves to look or behave like another species, often to gain some survival advantage. There are two main types I want to focus on: Batesian mimicry and Mullerian mimicry. Let me give you two examples. First, the harmless milk snake. This snake has bright red, yellow, and black bands, very similar to the venomous coral snake. Predators learn to avoid the coral snake's colors, and the milk snake benefits from this false warning. That's Batesian mimicry—where a harmless species imitates a dangerous one. Second, consider the monarch and viceroy butterflies. Both are toxic to birds. They look alike, and when a bird eats one, it learns to avoid both species. This is Mullerian mimicry—where two dangerous species share warning colors, and both benefit because predators learn faster with more examples. So, the main point is that mimicry can evolve in different ways depending on whether the species is harmful or harmless.