Trickery helps many organisms to survive. In fact, deceit is more the rule than the exception in nature. In every species, the animal that can put one over on its competitor, its predator or its prey has the edge on survival. Tails become heads and heads tails. A "dead leaf" comes to life, suddenly rising on insect legs. A cuckoo plays ventriloquist, throwing its voice to disguise its location. An angler fish entices prey with dummy bait that it part of its body. A mantis looks so much like an orchid that an insect crawls along its body. Mary Batten explores some of the myriad ways in which animals and plants deceive one another - and the very practical reasons why they practice such trickery: to save their skins, to eat and to make themselves more attractive to the opposite sex.
- ISBN10 0316083712
- ISBN13 9780316083713
- Publish Date 1 January 1992
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 2 March 2010
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Little, Brown & Company
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 48
- Language English