There's more to survival than speed and power. Throughout the animal kingdom, there are creatures who use mimicry to lure victims to their graves - check out the...
1. The Green-Banded BroodsacThis strange flatworm forces snails to mimic caterpillars during a multi-host life cycle. The snail becomes a host when it inadvertently eats an egg contained in bird droppings. This grows inside the unfortunate mollusk, colonizing one of the eye stalks (usually the left, but sometimes the right as well) as a pulsating banded swelling full of larvae. The overall effect resembles a large and juicy caterpillar that looks like an obvious and rewarding meal to any birds that see it.
Adding insult to injury, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the snail. Infected victims will seek high, brightly lit places where a bird will have little trouble spotting them. Once gobbled up by a hungry avian, the larvae take root in the cloaca of the bird and release eggs that restart the cycle.
This spider makes frequent pauses (lasting about 100ms) and raises two legs above the head to produce an illusion of antennae. It also moves in a zig-zag path that mimics the movement pattern of many ants -though they often do so when an ant would not. These tricks seem to be enough to fool many predators, though certain birds may have good enough vision to see through the leg-raising trick.
There are other potential advantages to this strategy beyond avoiding predation. These spiders may be better equipped to live in close proximity to ants, either preying on them or on other ant-hunting insects and spiders. The winding gait may also help them scout for food - rather than the straight-line ambush employed by other jumping spiders, they may discover vulnerable prey as they zig-zag across terrain.
When a potential meal gets close, the shrike makes a deadly lunge to secure it. The next part is rather gruesome - prey can be impaled on a thorn bush, acting as a larder for the bird to pick at. This habit has given Shrikes the nickname "butcher bird."
Female Photuris emit flash signals in response to the complex illumination patterns used by male Photinus, drawing them in by pretending to be a romantically-inclined female Photinus. When the hopeful male turns up, the female ambushes and consumes them. The lucibufagins saturate the Photuris, where they can be used to discourage attackers!
5. The False CleanerfishYou may be familiar with cleaner wrasse, a small fish that hangs around coral reefs and offers a cleaning service - they feed on ectoparasites that have attached themselves to other fish.
Unfortunately for clients, there is another fish that looks very similar and hangs around in similar spots waiting for a victim. The false cleanerfish (or sabretooth blenny) ambushes fish who expect to be cleaned, taking a chunk of fin out of the unsuspecting victim and speeding off. While this isn't the preferred diet of the false cleanerfish, it does provide them with an alternative when other food is scarce.
In 2005 researchers observed a group of tamarins being alerted by the calls of an infant, and several of the small primates moving down to investigate the strange sounds. Fortunately a vigilant sentinel spotted the real origin of the calls - a margay quietly closing on the group.
While this particular ambush was unsuccessful, it represents a devious hunting tactic with little risk to the margay. It may also lend credence to anecdotes and folklore about larger cats, such as pumas and jaguars, using vocal mimicry to draw in prey.
This snake is native to Iran, but local birds seem to have cottoned on to the trap. The vast majority of prey that falls to this trick are migratory birds - I guess this makes it a kind of tourist trap!
- Parasites that turn snails into bait
- Spiders that pretend to be an ant
- Birds that lure prey in with a siren song
- Fireflies that murder for chemicals
- Fish that operate under a false flag
- Cats that pretend to be primates
- Snakes with a fake spider tail
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| Some shrikes lure prey close with a song...before impaling them on thorns. (EdithvdL) |
1. The Green-Banded BroodsacThis strange flatworm forces snails to mimic caterpillars during a multi-host life cycle. The snail becomes a host when it inadvertently eats an egg contained in bird droppings. This grows inside the unfortunate mollusk, colonizing one of the eye stalks (usually the left, but sometimes the right as well) as a pulsating banded swelling full of larvae. The overall effect resembles a large and juicy caterpillar that looks like an obvious and rewarding meal to any birds that see it.
Adding insult to injury, the parasite seems to change the behavior of the snail. Infected victims will seek high, brightly lit places where a bird will have little trouble spotting them. Once gobbled up by a hungry avian, the larvae take root in the cloaca of the bird and release eggs that restart the cycle.
2. The Artful Ant Spider
Many predators consider ants a meal of last resort thanks to the noxious chemicals and foul taste of these creatures, let alone their painful bite. This means that there are advantages to being mistaken for an ant, and the jumping spider Myrmarachne formicaria has evolved to cash in on this.This spider makes frequent pauses (lasting about 100ms) and raises two legs above the head to produce an illusion of antennae. It also moves in a zig-zag path that mimics the movement pattern of many ants -though they often do so when an ant would not. These tricks seem to be enough to fool many predators, though certain birds may have good enough vision to see through the leg-raising trick.
There are other potential advantages to this strategy beyond avoiding predation. These spiders may be better equipped to live in close proximity to ants, either preying on them or on other ant-hunting insects and spiders. The winding gait may also help them scout for food - rather than the straight-line ambush employed by other jumping spiders, they may discover vulnerable prey as they zig-zag across terrain.
3. The Siren Song of the Northern Shrike
Not all mimicry is visual in the animal kingdom - the Northern Shrike acts like the mythological siren, singing a sweet song to lure other songbirds into reach. One study found that a recording of the song used by the shrike was able to lure in prey - a similar recording of a robin didn't produce the same effect.When a potential meal gets close, the shrike makes a deadly lunge to secure it. The next part is rather gruesome - prey can be impaled on a thorn bush, acting as a larder for the bird to pick at. This habit has given Shrikes the nickname "butcher bird."
4. The Femme-Fatale Firefly
The Photinus genus of fireflies have a potent chemical defense in the form of lucibufagins. These chemicals render the firefly incredibly distasteful to many spiders and birds, making them an incredible survival asset. Another genus of fireflies called Photuris lack lucibufagins - but the females will kill to get them.Female Photuris emit flash signals in response to the complex illumination patterns used by male Photinus, drawing them in by pretending to be a romantically-inclined female Photinus. When the hopeful male turns up, the female ambushes and consumes them. The lucibufagins saturate the Photuris, where they can be used to discourage attackers!
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| Some fireflies have powerful chemical defenses - and others will kill for them! (FranciscoJavierCoradoR) |
5. The False CleanerfishYou may be familiar with cleaner wrasse, a small fish that hangs around coral reefs and offers a cleaning service - they feed on ectoparasites that have attached themselves to other fish.
Unfortunately for clients, there is another fish that looks very similar and hangs around in similar spots waiting for a victim. The false cleanerfish (or sabretooth blenny) ambushes fish who expect to be cleaned, taking a chunk of fin out of the unsuspecting victim and speeding off. While this isn't the preferred diet of the false cleanerfish, it does provide them with an alternative when other food is scarce.
6. The Mimicking Margay
Tamarin monkeys are small and wary primates, feeding in groups with a designated "sentinel" that watches for predators. This makes them hard (but desirable) targets for the margay cat, a small and solitary predator. One of the things that can lure in the monkeys is the cry of a seemingly-lost infant tamarin.In 2005 researchers observed a group of tamarins being alerted by the calls of an infant, and several of the small primates moving down to investigate the strange sounds. Fortunately a vigilant sentinel spotted the real origin of the calls - a margay quietly closing on the group.
While this particular ambush was unsuccessful, it represents a devious hunting tactic with little risk to the margay. It may also lend credence to anecdotes and folklore about larger cats, such as pumas and jaguars, using vocal mimicry to draw in prey.
7. The Spider-Tailed Horned Viper
Few humans would want to see a spider-snake hybrid, but birds can be lured in by this cunning reptile. The spider-tailed horned viper possesses a fleshy growth at the end of the tail that resembles the body of an arachnid. Long scales branching off the growth resemble the legs of a spider, and the snake can wiggle the growth in a way that seems like natural movement. Birds lured in by the "spider" quickly find out that they are the prey as the viper snatches them mid-swoop.This snake is native to Iran, but local birds seem to have cottoned on to the trap. The vast majority of prey that falls to this trick are migratory birds - I guess this makes it a kind of tourist trap!
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