I Cry, You Cry, We All Mimicry

Many say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In nature, every organism fills a unique role in their ecosystem, and in many cases, imitating another organism helps them to succeed in their roles. This imitation is called mimicry.

What is Mimicry?

Mimicry is an adaptation that allows an organism to imitate another organism in order to gain an advantage. There are many factors that give rise to different kinds of mimicry. Animals can achieve mimicry through vocal soundings, physical attributes, or behavioral changes. The mimic gains different advantages depending on the mode of mimicry, the purpose of mimicry, the model organism, and their intended audience. Therefore, many different kinds of mimicry exist and they are all uniquely fascinating. The three most well known categories are Batesian, Müllerian, and Aggressive.

Mimicry vs. Camouflage

Before we dive into the marvelous world of mimicry, we must first solidify an important distinction: camouflage and mimicry are not always synonymous. Mimicry requires an organism to imitate another organism. Meanwhile, camouflage is when an animal blends into its environment to avoid detection. In other words, mimicry requires a live model where camouflage does not. Take the snow leopard for example. The unique patterns on a snow leopard’s fur helps them to blend in with the rocky and snowy surroundings. This is a great example of camouflage, but it isn’t an example of mimicry. A walking stick, however, looks like a twig to blend in with tree bark. This helps them to camouflage, but because they look like another organism, it is also mimicry.

Photo 118266743, (c) Bouke Lolkema, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bouke Lolkema

Batesian Mimicry

Batesian mimicry refers to a harmless or vulnerable animal mimicking a toxic, unpalatable, or dangerous animal in efforts to ward off predators. Cheetah cubs, for example, are extremely vulnerable. Only 5-10 percent of cubs born survive to adulthood. To combat this statistic, cheetah cubs are born with a white tuft of fur on their back that mimics the distinct coloration of the widely feared honey badger. The more they look like the resilient honey badger, the less likely it is that they will be attacked by predators. When they grow up and become fearsome themselves, they lose the white streak and don their iconic polka dots.

Müllerian Mimicry

Müllerian mimicry occurs when two or more dangerous or unpalatable species evolve together to resemble one another. This mimicry serves to create a mutualistic relationship between the mimic and model where all involved species are better protected from predators. A great example of this is found in bees and wasps that exhibit black and yellow bars. Many different species have this coloration. Predators recognize this pattern as a warning sign and as a result, all species that look similar are avoided.

Photo 550929846, (c) Michael B Cassidy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Michael B Cassidy

Aggressive Mimicry

Sometimes dangerous animals mimic harmless animals to deceive their prey into letting their guard down. This is called aggressive mimicry. Many species of wild cats engage in this deception. For example, tigers are known to mimic the vocalizations of their prey animals to draw them in closer. At TCWR, our tigers often mimic the sounds of the lions. They carol simply because it is in their nature to mimic.