托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about animal camouflage, specifically a strategy called 'disruptive coloration.' The main point is that some animals have patterns that break up their body outline, making it harder for predators to recognize them as a single object. Let me give you two examples. First, the zebra. Its black and white stripes don't match the savanna background, but when zebras stand together in a herd, the stripes blur into a confusing mass, making it difficult for a lion to pick out an individual. Second, the leopard. Its spots break up the shape of its body when it rests in dappled sunlight under trees. The spots mimic the patches of light and shadow, so the leopard's outline disappears into the background. In both cases, the pattern works not by blending with the environment, but by destroying the visual continuity of the animal's shape.