托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in biology called 'mimicry'. Mimicry is when one species evolves to look or behave like another species, often to gain a survival advantage. There are two main types of mimicry: Batesian and Mullerian. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the harmless milk snake. It has evolved to have the same red, yellow, and black banding as the venomous coral snake. Predators that have learned to avoid the coral snake also avoid the milk snake, giving it protection without being poisonous itself. This is an example of Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species imitates a dangerous one. Second, think about the monarch and viceroy butterflies. Both species are distasteful to birds, and they share similar orange and black patterns. By looking alike, they reinforce the lesson to predators: 'we taste bad.' This is Mullerian mimicry, where two or more protected species mimic each other to share the cost of teaching predators. So, in both cases, mimicry is a powerful evolutionary tool for survival.