托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology: biological mimicry. Biological mimicry occurs when one species evolves to resemble another species, often to gain a survival advantage. There are two main types: defensive mimicry and aggressive mimicry. Let me give you two examples to clarify. First, consider the viceroy butterfly. It has evolved to look almost identical to the monarch butterfly, which is toxic to predators. Birds that have learned to avoid monarchs also avoid viceroys, giving the viceroy protection without being poisonous itself. This is defensive mimicry. Second, consider the anglerfish. It has a fleshy growth on its head that looks like a small fish or worm. When a prey fish approaches this lure, the anglerfish snaps it up. Here, the mimicry is aggressive because it helps the predator catch food. So, mimicry can either help an animal hide from predators or help it trick its prey.