Have you ever wondered what Bayesian mimicry looks like in animals? If you want to know more about this incredible event of nature, then this is the right place where you can find a lot of information about it that will help you to clear your mind.
Before we dive into this topic in depth, there are a few things you should know about Bayesian mimicry in animals. This natural occurrence often strikes us as extremely surprising, the way an animal can basically change or take on its appearance to appear to be “redo” and protect yourself from other threats can be very incredible for us. This may be voluntary in some animals and a natural characteristic in others.
However, I consider that there is a certain similarity in mimicry and some actions that we ourselves as human beings sometimes commit. Surely you have ever lived, seen or experienced pretending to be tougher than you are in order to protect yourself from some threats. Like when we go out walking in a disturbing way or with clothes that could easily be related to people with few friends.
Well, this is what animal’s do that can blend in with others to achieve a particular benefit, that’s what I want you to learn here, that’s why you should keep reading everything in this article.
What do you need for Bayesian mimicry in animals?
- Investigate the species that can mimic
Instructions for Bayesian mimicry in animals
- Why is it called Bayesian mimicry? The Bayesian name comes from the surname of Henry Walter Bates, a British-born scientist who spent a period of his life studying and researching the habits of Lepidoptera in the mid-nineteenth century and until the last decades of this century. This man noticed how there is a physical similarity between some species of these butterflies and that this similarity was a peaceful, cunning and natural way that these insects had as a means of protection and survival.
- What really is mimicry? When we talk about animals, mimicry refers to the ability to resemble other animals even if they do not have the same characteristics as those they are trying to imitate. In other words, there are some animals, such as butterflies, that can adopt visual physical characteristics that make them resemble other butterflies. Generally in these cases they do it to resemble stronger or more violent species and thus be able to generate fear in a possible predator that could threaten their life. It is really a form of defense.
- How is Bayesian mimicry different from camouflage? Although both functions are mainly characterized by appearances for some kind of benefit, the difference between the utility of Bayesian mimicry and camouflage (also known as cryptic mimicry) is quite evident. Camouflage is often used by some animals. When an animal camouflages itself, it is to resemble an object or blend in with the environment and thereby go unnoticed either for protection or to hunt. In the latter case it is known as offensive cryptic mimicry and is very common in insects such as praying mantises. There is also Mullein mimicry (proposed by Fritz Müller), in which both species are not only physically similar, but also share predatory characteristics and there is a correlation in which both are copycats and models.
- However, in the case of Bayesian mimicry, what the animal is really trying to do is resemble a threatening animal, strong and whose appearance can serve as a lesson to ward off potential predators that may threaten this animal. Obviously the animal that is mimicking another does not acquire any characteristics of it, but simply wants to give the appearance of being one and thereby avoid problems and threats. The weak species that is mimicking is called a copy while the mimicking animal is called a model.
- How is this phenomenon generated? Nature, as well as its evolution, has adopted numerous species with good attributes to be able to survive and prolong their lives in the face of some threats, however, others less fortunate to a certain extent, who do not have the physical skills to defend themselves at all, have developed this capacity that their bodies allow them to appear different from the one they really have by nature.
- In the case of some animals there are those who can change their physical form practically voluntarily; however there are also those whose nature have already adopted physical characteristics of other species and therefore can be confused with the naked eye.
- Some examples that we have of this type of mimicry are the false coral snakes, these imitate the appearance of those snakes whose nature is poisonous and deadly, called authentic coral snakes. There are also wasp beetles, these mimic wasps since they can be more aggressive and survive more to certain threats, so these beetles evolved adapting that type of physical characteristics.
Tips for Bayesian Mimicry in Animals
- If you want to know more about species that can mimic voluntarily or that have characteristics that help them perform Bayesian or cryptic mimicry, we recommend reading more specific information about each species.
- A very clear example of Bayesian mimicry that can help you understand more about how it works can be that of the owl butterfly, whose rooms resemble the face of an owl; especially they have a natural drawing on them that resembles the eyes of this butterfly. Bird. She does this in order to ward off predators.
- In reality, there are many animal species, both insects and non-insects that can mimic themselves. There are even many cases of mimicry in fish.
