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 like another species, often for protection. There are two main types: Batesian mimicry and Müllerian mimicry. Let me give you two examples. First, the harmless king snake has evolved to look like the venomous coral snake. Both have red, yellow, and black bands, but in different orders. Predators that have learned to avoid the coral snake also avoid the king snake, giving it protection even though it's not dangerous itself. This is Batesian mimicry, where a harmless species imitates a harmful one. Second, consider two species of stinging wasps, the yellow jacket and the paper wasp. Both are actually dangerous, but they have evolved to look very similar. This is Müllerian mimicry. Since predators learn to avoid one pattern, they avoid both, and both species benefit from shared learning. So, the main point is that mimicry can either involve a harmless species tricking predators, or multiple defended species reinforcing a shared warning signal.