We likely all know that certain someone who’s cunning and manipulative. Ease off! These traits and behaviours can also prosper in many other social animals, including primates, dogs, birds and rodents.
Liars, cheats and copycats explores masquerade and ‘what it is to be deceived’ in the natural world. Leaves, insects and twigs; birds, tigers and jellyfish; praying mantis, rattlesnakes, spiders and deep-sea shrimp. These plants and animals (and countless others) are quite guilty of deception, trickery and manipulation. So, how do they do it? Camouflage is a well-known strategy: colour, stripes, pattern, texture and shape – anything that can be perceived by associated predators, prey, competitors or potential partners. Scent and sound, too. Even behaviour itself is a source of effective ‘tactical deception’, facilitated by the cognitive and social skills required for animals to live in groups. Hungry dogs who mislead their competitive handlers, squirrels who pretend to bury their gathered food, and birds who trick meercats with fake alarm calls are adorably hilarious and intriguing.
The author’s voice is delightfully strong and engaging. The regular and humorous asides, anecdotes, and notes help to reframe the sensible, scientific information with a light, irreverent and entertaining tone.
In his conclusion, O’Hanlon reflects on viewing a contemporary ‘visual illusion’ artwork. The spontaneous intrigue, excitement, rush of adrenalin – even a mysterious reassessment of reality – offer profound insights into the delights and obscurities of perception, illusion and deception.
Reviewed by Mark Parry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James O’Hanlon has travelled around Australia and the globe uncovering the secret lives of insects and spiders. If it is small, mysterious and lacks a backbone, James has an insatiable desire to find out what it is and what it does. He has published over 30 academic papers and his popular science writing has appeared in ABC News, Australian Geographic, The Conversation and Biosphere Magazine. He is an award-winning science communicator and was the 2021 recipient of the Varuna–New England Writers’ Centre fellowship.
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