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The sneakiest animals on earth use highly evolved traits—like deceptive camouflage, clever mimicry, and auditory trickery—to hunt prey or hide from danger. Across the globe, various species have developed ingenious, specialized methods to outsmart their environments and secure their survival.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:03Meet the Californian Ground Squall.
00:08It's an endearing little rodent, but it does face a big problem.
00:13A constant and terrifying threat.
00:20Rattlesnakes.
00:21Rattlesnakes.
00:27Deadly serpents that hunt by smell.
00:33Once locked on to a squirrel's scent, there's no escape.
00:44Or is there?
00:46You see, these squirrels have a distinctly devious con to fool the sinister snakes.
00:53And central to that con is this.
00:57One of the rattlesnakes' old shed skins.
01:06Just watch this.
01:17Look at that.
01:19The squirrels come over, picked up the skin and started chewing it.
01:25They rub the mush all over their bodies.
01:30You see, they're masking their own scent.
01:33Now, they smell like the snakes instead.
01:41It's fooling the principle way the ruthless rattlers hunt them down.
01:52The snakes just can't detect the squirrels.
01:57It's ingenious, isn't it?
01:58Absolutely ingenious.
02:02They use the snake's own scent to hide themselves.
02:09Now, that's nature at its most devious.
02:14And it turns out that these sneaky squirrels
02:18aren't the only ones tricking other animals to survive.
02:32Every day, animals face the single greatest challenge of their lives.
02:38Survive or die.
02:42They've got to outwit potential predators.
02:47Find or catch food.
02:53And then raise the next generation.
02:58Frankly, the stakes couldn't be higher.
03:04So, in the face of all of this,
03:07how on earth can animals increase their chances?
03:10I mean, would they lie, cheat,
03:14even steal from one another just to survive?
03:17Oh, come on. Of course they would.
03:25Join me as I meet the world's stinkiest animals.
03:30Or do whatever it takes to survive.
03:50Now, if there's anywhere on the planet
03:53where staying alive is a constant struggle,
03:56then it's here, the African savannah.
04:02To avoid the attention of predators,
04:05most animals' coat colours blend in to the background.
04:12But one in particular has perfected an incredibly sneaky disguise.
04:19The zebra.
04:21Oh, seriously, I mean it.
04:23The zebra.
04:28Let's just stop for a minute and think about these animals.
04:31In particular, their markings.
04:33I mean, they are striking, stunning animals.
04:43But, at the same time,
04:44they might strike you as a little ridiculous when you think about it.
04:52After all, they're living out here, on the plains of Africa,
04:56which are famed for being alive with predators.
05:03And yet, look.
05:07They stick out like a sore thumb.
05:12So, perhaps this begs the question, the age-old question,
05:17why does the zebra have its stripes?
05:22Well, over the years, there have been plenty of theories.
05:28From helping to keep them cool in the heat,
05:31or attracting a mate,
05:34or even a way of identifying each other.
05:41the zebra.
05:41But, to be honest, none of these have stood the test of time.
05:46Now, groundbreaking new science is suggesting
05:50that these bold patterns are keeping the zebras safe from their enemies.
06:07But how?
06:09Well, perhaps there's a clue in the colours themselves.
06:19Black and white are the two most contrasting colours.
06:23And when combined, they play tricks on the mind.
06:34Take a look at this, and don't adjust your sets.
06:37This is known as the cafe wall illusion.
06:41Look at the horizontal lines.
06:44They look slopey, diagonal, uneven, right?
06:51But, just look at this.
06:55You'll see that there are no skewery or diagonal lines at all.
07:00In fact, everything is perfectly even and horizontal.
07:06Before, the lines look sloping.
07:12After, they're perfectly straight.
07:18Black and white patterns can confuse our vision.
07:26And they are the two most common colours used in optical illusions.
07:36So, could it be that a phenomenon like this could contribute to the whole enigma of the zebra stripes?
07:49Well, one man has been investigating exactly this.
07:58Dr Martin Howell is an expert in the way that predators see their prey.
08:06I've been studying animal vision for a number of years now,
08:08and became quite interested in what the zebra stripes might be doing to the visual systems of their main predators.
08:17They've got these very strong stripes, but nobody's really explained convincingly why they're striped.
08:28Martin's got an exciting theory.
08:31That the bold, contrasting patterns, when viewed by predators,
08:36could be creating an optical illusion.
08:43It's an idea called motion dazzle.
08:48Let me show you how it works, with an example we're all very familiar with.
09:01Now, just watch this.
09:04If I begin to turn this bicycle wheel, you can see that it's moving in a clockwise direction.
09:11And it looks like it's moving in a clockwise direction.
09:14But if I turn it more quickly, like this,
09:18then suddenly something magical happens.
09:29The wheel appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
09:33It appears to be going completely backwards.
09:46It's called the wagon wheel illusion.
09:52The faster something rotates, the more we struggle to process the movement.
09:58Our brain tries to simplify what we're seeing, but it gets the direction wrong.
10:11To investigate whether something like this could be happening with the zebra's monochrome stripes,
10:17Martin developed a computer model to analyse footage.
10:22What we've got here is we've got the original footage of the zebras moving from left to right.
10:26And below we've got the output of the model.
10:28The brightness of the colour shows you where the movement is happening.
10:32Right.
10:32And the colour itself tells you the direction.
10:34So the green areas are moving to the right, and the red areas are moving to the left.
10:39OK, but there is a mass of red in there.
10:41Does that mean that those parts of those zebra to the predator look like they're moving completely in the opposite
10:47direction, back to the left?
10:48Yeah, that's exactly right.
10:49And it really demonstrates that it's the zebra stripes that are causing the effect.
10:56Let's just be clear on this.
10:58Here, we've isolated the two key colours.
11:05As the zebras are walking to the right, the model should only be showing green, no other colours.
11:12Remarkably, the red we are seeing is suggesting that a predator would perceive the zebras to be moving in completely
11:21the opposite direction.
11:23Just like the bike wheel.
11:32Predators must precisely judge the speed and direction of their prey in order to make a kill.
11:44This research shows that as zebras start moving, the stripes create a miraculous and disorientating illusion.
11:53Making it harder for the predators to home in on them.
12:03In a hunt, every second counts, so this dazzling form of defence could be confusing predators just enough for the
12:13zebras to escape and live to see another day.
12:18It's an outstandingly sneaky trick.
12:28Zebras have transformed themselves into a walking, trotting, galloping optical illusion which both deceives and deters their predators.
12:38And if I'm honest with you, up until now, I've never really given them a second look.
12:42I've always thought of them as small, stripy ponies living out here to be eaten by something more interesting.
12:48But no longer.
12:49I now see them as unique and beautiful animals.
12:52Creatures that have pulled off an incredible deception to produce one of the most effective anti-predator strategies that we
13:00have on our planet.
13:05Motion dazzle is a brilliant way to confuse hunting predators.
13:13But animals have other ingenious ways to outwit their enemies.
13:27One creature's sneaky strategy is to avoid being detected in the first place.
13:44You're looking at a northern leaf-tailed gecko.
13:49And these animals are incredibly difficult to spot.
13:54Try focusing just here.
13:57Here.
14:01Now that really is a master of disguise.
14:26I used to have a book when I was a kid. It had a photograph of one of these things
14:29in and I could barely believe it existed.
14:37You can only find them here in northern Queensland in the tropical forest.
14:42And it is one of the largest geckos in the world.
14:49They feed at night.
14:52But it's when they sleep during the day that they have a big problem.
15:00This forest is alive with hungry eyes.
15:07All looking to prey on an exposed lizard.
15:13You see, our gecko is too big to hide away or tuck in under bark.
15:18So, stuck out on a limb, in broad daylight, it deploys its party trick.
15:26The gecko has developed an ability that we can only dream of.
15:32Just watch this.
15:37It vanishes into thin air.
15:48The gecko's vanishing act starts with its skin.
15:53It's covered in a series of strongly contrasting patterns.
15:58In close-up, they really stand out.
16:01But from a distance, they break up the gecko's body shape and its outline.
16:08Allowing it to blend seamlessly into any forest background.
16:14It's known as disruptive camouflage.
16:18Even their eyes have it.
16:25But there are other clues the gecko's predators could pick up on.
16:31Any three-dimensional object, no matter how well camouflaged,
16:35has the potential to produce a shadow.
16:39And this shadow is a dead giveaway to any predator.
16:45To combat this, the geckos have very loose skin,
16:49which they flatten against the trees when they're trying to hide.
16:54To complete their vanishing act, the geckos have subtle fringes
16:59that run around the edges of their bodies, particularly on their tails.
17:04And these serve to break up their outline and any sharply defined edges.
17:13By using these principles,
17:17animals have perfected the ultimate camouflage.
17:22The effectiveness, the sheer beauty of these devious disguises,
17:27is quite mind-blowing.
17:29Just look at these sneaky creatures.
17:33Can you make it out?
17:34It's a dead-leaf butterfly from Malaysia.
17:40What about these animals?
17:44These are pygmy seahorses from New Guinea.
17:49And finally, how about the incredible disguise of this hooded grasshopper?
18:00And for our leaf-towered gecko, and yes, it is still here,
18:05perfecting this disguise means one important thing.
18:09It can rest, it can sleep here, in the open,
18:13and avoid the attention of predators all day long.
18:26Now, it's all very well some animals being able to blend perfectly into their background.
18:32That's clearly a great advantage.
18:34But what about if these species then want to move from one habitat into another?
18:40Then, it could clearly be a disadvantage,
18:44unless they had the ability to change their camouflage.
18:49And ultimately, if they could continue to change that disguise,
18:54they would come up with nature's invisibility cloak.
18:58Something that you might think is a bit far-fetched,
19:02but I've got to tell you that it isn't.
19:04There's a creature living out there right now that can do just that.
19:14And what a splendid creature it is.
19:19What do you mean you can't see it?
19:21It's in the middle, there, amongst the seaweed.
19:27I give you the cuttlefish.
19:39Unfortunately for them, they are one of the most sought-after meals in the ocean.
19:46Their bodies have no physical protection,
19:48so they've come up with a cunning defence.
19:53They transform themselves entirely to match their surroundings.
20:02In his US-based lab, cuttlefish expert, Dr Roger Hanlon,
20:07is investigating how they conjure up these incredible illusions.
20:17He's presenting the cuttlefish with different backgrounds.
20:28And then pulling the rug out from underneath them.
20:34And it reveals just how quickly they can adapt.
20:41As Roger is discovering,
20:43the key to this seemingly supernatural power is their skin.
20:48Well, this is truly amazing.
20:50Perhaps some of the most beautiful skin on planet Earth.
20:53And they need elegant skin because they have to create these colours
20:57and patterns and contrast to create this camouflage.
21:03So on the top layer of the skin,
21:05they have these beautiful pigmented organs.
21:07We call them chromatophores.
21:12Chromatophores are tiny packages of different coloured pigment.
21:18Each individual chromatophore is pulled and stretched by muscles controlled by the brain,
21:25turning a dot into a circle of colour.
21:29The combined effect of three million chromatophores and other specialist cells
21:35changes the cuttlefish's colour and pattern in an instant.
21:42This amazing colour-changing ability is made even more remarkable by one astonishing fact.
21:51Cuttlefish are colour-blind.
21:55Yes, that's right.
21:57They can't even see the colours they're trying to match.
22:02So how on earth do they match their surroundings quite so perfectly?
22:08Well, recently Roger and his colleagues have discovered the cuttlefish's beautiful secret.
22:16Dotted across their skin are specialist cells containing opsin.
22:23It's a protein usually only ever found in eyes.
22:29So this is a marvellous, strange discovery.
22:32They seem to have light-detecting molecules distributed in the skin,
22:36and these are the same molecules that are in the retina and the eye.
22:41In effect, their skin can sense, possibly even see, colour.
22:49But then these great illusionists have another show-stopping trick.
22:58The cuttlefish have this morphing skin.
23:01The skin can actually go from flat to three-dimensional.
23:04Think ultimate goosebumps in a human, for example.
23:08No other animal can do this.
23:11The cuttlefish morph and change texture to match any surroundings.
23:19It's an extraordinary ability.
23:24These clever cuttlefish, and their close relatives, Octopus,
23:28have the most amazing, shape-shifting, vanishing act
23:33that I've ever seen.
23:39And when it comes to playing hide-and-seek with predators,
23:43these deceitful creatures are always the winners.
23:58Camouflage is a wonderfully sneaky and successful way to avoid predators.
24:06So many different animals depend on it to survive.
24:12But you know, for even the best camouflaged animals, there's a problem.
24:16You see, the second they move, the illusion is blown.
24:21It really doesn't matter how well hidden they are, it spoils the trick.
24:26But nature always finds a way.
24:30So could there be an even craftier ploy?
24:34One that could protect a conniving creature around the clock?
24:41No matter where they were, or what they did.
24:46A disguise that all predators would want to avoid all of the time.
24:51Don't look!
24:57It's deadly.
24:58Venomous, toxic or decidedly deadly.
25:01Danger, danger.
25:03High voltage.
25:05Many animals use bright warning colours to declare the threat that they pose.
25:10Danger!
25:12Predators learn to avoid these animals.
25:17they know the consequences if they try to eat them but sometimes all is not as it seems
25:31two snakes both displaying classic warning coloration both residents of here the
25:39southeastern United States but one of these snakes is deadly venomous it's the eastern coral snake
25:54the venom is packed with neurotoxins which paralyzed the breathing system so one bite is pretty much
26:01certainly fatal that would be a snake to avoid but the other snake is a bare-faced liar
26:17the Scarlet Kingsnake is absolutely harmless the big question is which is which
26:33because in a moment I'm going to take one of these two snakes out of the jar bare-handed
26:42so which one will it be
26:51which one would you choose
27:02no I don't think so I'm going to go for this snake
27:11and this snake is the Scarlet Kingsnake it's the faker and just look at it it is
27:25absolutely beautiful
27:30in this neck of the woods it helps to remember a rhyme that could save your life
27:35red touches yellow could kill a fella
27:41red touches black friend to Jack
27:45and here the red and black bands are touching
27:48so this is our harmless king snake
27:54around here this snake is certainly on the menu for many larger animals so it's evolved a sneaky tactic
28:07this is a classic case of imitation the harmless king snake is mimicking its deadly rival the coral snake in
28:18the hope
28:18that predators will buy this corn and leave it well alone
28:23well that's the theory at least but I see a problem
28:28you see they're not exactly the same are they
28:33so could this mimicry really confer protection on this cheating snake
28:40unbelievably until recently it never actually been tested in the field
28:46that is until now
28:51professor David Fenwick is an expert in the king snakes masterful mimicry
29:00earlier in the year he set out replicas of both snakes in front of camera traps
29:10he's investigating
29:13how predators really react
29:16to these warning colors
29:29I can't wait to see the results
29:33so David how did the experiment go
29:35I think it worked out fabulous
29:36and so you can see we found a real diversity of animal life appearing on our videos
29:48okay so a great range of species but at least two of those animals are potential predators of the snake
29:58the great foxes and the coyotes would be predators of these snakes the raccoons would probably be as well
30:03when we look at the reactions of these predators of the snakes we find that they're treating them as if
30:08they were real snakes
30:15but surely the bright warning coloration has to be putting off the majority of attacks
30:20that's right
30:21generally they're not attacking our fake snakes they're avoiding them and you can see this avoidance in several of these
30:27clips
30:30sometimes they do go after them and they do attack them at very low frequency though
30:34and what do you see in terms of a difference between the number of fake coal snakes and number of
30:39fake king snakes being attacked
30:41they're equally likely to be attacked so even though the coral snake and the king snake have different ring order
30:48predators avoiding both
30:52so despite not looking exactly the same
30:56the mimetic king snake is still gaining all of the advantage of its phony warning colors
31:03the reason why that works is that the the coral snake is really really deadly it can kill an adult
31:09hema it could kill any of these predators
31:13so just vaguely looking like it is good enough to to get you by
31:21just as I gambled with my life earlier
31:27if a predator wanted to eat one of these two snakes and picked the wrong one it could cost them
31:36their life
31:39so they tend to play it safe avoiding any snake with obvious warning colors
31:51mimicry really is an excellent strategy for survival it's a brilliantly cunning way to protect yourself from predators 24 hours
32:00a day
32:01so it's hardly surprising that when one species evolves to be deadly dangerous others sneak in and copy them
32:12harmless hoverflies copy the warning colors of stinging bees
32:19this bushveiled lizard mimics the markings of the orc pister
32:26a tenacious beetle that sprays formic acid
32:33targeting the eyes it can cause temporary blindness
32:37definitely something worth impersonating them
32:42the little lizard even adopts a silly walk
32:46to perfect the parody
33:04but how about this amazing new
33:07discovery the ball of bright ginger fluff is the chick of the secretive cinerious mourner
33:19it starts worming around in the nest
33:25because it's impersonating one of these a highly noxious caterpillar
33:34this is the first time it's ever been filmed
33:42it's absolutely extraordinary isn't it
33:46a tiny chick pretending to be a deadly poisonous caterpillar
33:51but you know mimicry isn't always about changing your appearance or your behavior
33:58there is one unlikely impersonator who uses mimicry in a completely different way
34:10and i've come here to this unusual location
34:16on the outskirts of sacramento to meet it
34:19this was a building site it was planned but the houses were never put up
34:31but that hasn't stopped one family from moving in
34:36to number one bluff way
34:49burrowing owls
34:56and look at them they're absolutely delightful
35:00little birds
35:05these are not normal owls
35:10running around on the ground
35:14hanging out in the daytime
35:19oh and as the name suggests they live down burrows
35:32this family have five youngsters which are just starting to explore outside the burrow
35:39and that burrow provides excellent protection from any aerial predators
35:44there's no doubt about that
35:45but it's not quite so good when it comes to ground predators
35:52in this unusual neighborhood
35:57a stray dog is a real threat to our young family
36:09so to deter ground predators burrowing owls deploy a really sneaky strategy
36:16a willing volunteer should help demonstrate what i mean
36:20meet ruby
36:22she's a three year old hand reared burrowing owl
36:26ruby can do something which is very pertinent to what we're interested in
36:31when she wants to
36:37like i said
36:38when she wants to
36:52no
36:53nothing
36:53not a peep
36:58okay i won't look at her
36:59and then she'll probably do it
37:07and then she'll probably do it
37:08like the crow
37:09and then finally she does what i wanted to see
37:40look at that
37:43in fact it's the sound
37:46it's the copycat call that's key to the burrowing owl's defense
37:52why do you think she's making that sound
37:57it's tricky isn't it but i'll give you a clue
37:59i can tell you that ruby shares her space with a species of pretty noxious snake
38:11rattle snakes are highly venomous and known for their aggression
38:18the famous rattle is a warning
38:25steer well clear or i'll bite
38:28and like our owls
38:31and like our owls they also hide down burrows
38:34so that's what the owls are up to
38:39if they can accurately impersonate an angry rattlesnake
38:45deep in a dark burrow
38:47then no predator in its right mind is going to bother them
38:53but for this impersonation to work
38:55it has to be totally convincing
38:59so does it work?
39:00does it actually fall other animals?
39:02let's put it to the test
39:08now if you were paying attention at the very beginning of this program
39:16you'll know that these endearing californian ground squirrels live in constant fear of rattlesnakes
39:23and of course rightly so
39:27because out here 70% of the rattlesnake's diet is squirrel
39:33if there's one animal whose life definitely depends on its ability to recognize a rattlesnake's rattle
39:41then this is it
39:45if the owl's impersonation can fool these guys it will fool any predator
39:50these are the perfect test subject
40:00the plucky little squirrels have an audacious approach to tackling their number one nemesis
40:07rather than run they mob the snake
40:12waving their tails frantically
40:17it's the squirrel's way of saying
40:19I've seen you so don't try anything clever
40:38okay we've got the squirrel here
40:40let's see what happens when I play the owl's rattlesnake call
40:47here we go
40:55look at that
40:58the squirrel's wagging its tail
41:01and that's what they do when they sense there's a rattlesnake about
41:07so this little chap is convinced that there's a snake in the grass
41:14little does it know
41:16it's an owl doing an impersonation
41:20what about that
41:24and for our young family living in a tough urban environment
41:31a sneaky trick like this is helping them to survive
41:41I don't know
41:42just when you think that you might have seen and heard it all
41:46up pops an ass that makes a sound like a rattlesnake
41:50I mean you couldn't make it up could you
41:52and it works
41:53because by turning themselves into ventriloquist
41:56these animals are replicating the sound of that deadly reptile in the burrow
42:00at a time when their chicks are at their most vulnerable
42:04and it's saving their lives there's no doubt about it
42:14but what if an animal used mimicry not to fool its predators
42:19but to trick others of its own species
42:24sounds far-fetched
42:26but an amazing new discovery could well be an example of exactly that
42:41so lions
42:44what do we need to know about lions
42:48well firstly
42:49they're very territorial
42:57each pride defends a home patch
43:02which they absolutely depend on to survive
43:10secondly
43:11it's the males who guard that territory
43:22everything clear?
43:23good
43:24because here comes the sneaky bit
43:32deep in Botswana's Okavango Douta
43:34there's an extraordinary lion
43:38that's rewriting all of the rules
43:42this is Mamoreri
43:47a perfectly ordinary male lion
43:50complete with a characteristic mane
43:53right?
43:55well actually
43:56no
43:57wrong
44:01you see Mamoreri
44:03is a lioness
44:06yes
44:06well she's all you'd ever want
44:08she's the kind I'd like to flaunt and take to dinner
44:14well she always knows her place
44:16she's got style
44:17she's got grace
44:18she's a winner
44:22she's a lady
44:24oh oh oh
44:26she's a lady
44:28Talking about that little lady
44:31yes
44:31I know she's got a full mane
44:33but I promise you
44:34she
44:35is
44:36all woman
44:36the lady
44:38oh oh oh
44:38the little lady
44:39oh oh oh oh oh oh
44:41and the lady is mine
44:44yay
44:45she's a lady
44:47for 59
44:56oh oh oh
44:57Even her roar is deeper and more masculine.
45:06Right now, there are thought to be five
45:08of these maned lionesses in the Okavango.
45:15And this is the first time that one of them has ever been filmed.
45:24They probably all have the same genetic mutation,
45:28which has created an imbalance of hormones.
45:39This is extraordinary stuff.
45:42But what does it mean for this pride?
45:45Well, scientists suspect that because Mamoreri mimics a male,
45:51rivals might think there are more males in her pride
45:55than there actually are.
45:57If they can increase their territory because of this,
46:02then it would really improve her pride's survival chances.
46:09This mutation could even be the start of a new
46:13and very devious lion strategy.
46:18Evolution happening right before our eyes
46:21with one of the most iconic animals on the planet.
46:26It's incredible.
46:40Mimicry is a successful survival strategy used by animals the world over.
46:48Impersonating others has entirely changed the way that animals look
46:51and even how they behave.
46:58But what if animals could adapt their behaviour
47:02and make deliberate, strategic decisions about when and how to trick others?
47:11Well, then they could pull off the sneakiest con tricks of all.
47:17One of these animal hustlers lives here,
47:21in the forests of Panama.
47:26White-faced capuchins.
47:33This group are a close-knit family.
47:38Together, they defend a territory that they depend upon to survive.
47:44But other monkey troops are trying to take their turf.
47:52And as a consequence of that, these monkeys are always in conflict.
48:11fighting is a dangerous business.
48:19Injuries are common.
48:25In fact, more capuchins are killed by each other than by predators.
48:33The stakes couldn't be higher.
48:37Guarding a territory obviously takes teamwork.
48:41An individual capuchin can't keep an invading troop out on its own.
48:47And obviously, from that troop's point of view,
48:49it makes sense to look after the territory.
48:51They need it to survive.
48:53But let's just stop for a moment
48:55and think about the implications on the individual monkeys.
49:04Yes, it's their duty to help defend the territory.
49:10But that takes time and energy.
49:14And then there's the likelihood of getting seriously injured.
49:20And for a monkey like this, that is a huge dilemma.
49:25And it's led to the evolution of some extraordinarily treacherous tactics.
49:34These monkeys are part of a long-term study.
49:39Leading the research is primatologist Meg Crowford.
49:46She's going to show me just how sneaky these monkeys can be.
49:52By playing a recording of a neighbouring troop,
49:56she's simulating a territorial invasion.
50:04There's a female looking towards the seeker with the baby on her back.
50:09On the ground right here.
50:10What is that?
50:12That's his alpha male on this coat.
50:14That's certainly got a response from him.
50:16Yeah.
50:20Here we go. One of the juveniles.
50:22Yes.
50:24Wow.
50:26Two more there.
50:30So we've seen five monkeys come this way.
50:33The big male, the three juveniles, and that one female with the baby on her back.
50:36But two of the females looked at the speaker and didn't come forward at all.
50:42They didn't seem to want to get involved in looking after their territory.
50:48I just saw two monkeys cheating their own family
50:53in a social species that's supposed to work together.
51:00This new discovery has surprised everyone.
51:04But what's really interesting is that some days these same two females do respond to the recordings.
51:12They do rush in to help.
51:15Another day, a different monkey cheats the troop.
51:18To a lesser and greater extent, they're all up to it.
51:21So there's definitely a sneaky strategy in play here.
51:29So if the same monkeys don't cheat all of the time, that means they must be making decisions every time
51:35there's a potential conflict as to whether to cheat or not.
51:37Yes, I think that's definitely true.
51:40It seems to be an interesting tension between the likelihood that the group is going to be able to win
51:44without you and your own sort of personal desire to avoid risk entirely.
51:51These monkeys have weighed things up and decided to cheat the group.
51:58But it's a huge risk.
52:00After all, it could jeopardise their own family's long-term survival.
52:06But for the individual monkey, if it means avoiding injury, then the con pays off.
52:19Being able to decide which trip to pull out of the bag and when is critical to a successful sneaky
52:27strategy.
52:28So what is the ultimate animal hustle?
52:32Well, one creature really will do whatever it takes to survive.
52:38The horned lizard.
52:40What an animal.
52:42Look at it.
52:43Absolutely smitten.
52:45To me, this is gorgeous.
52:49This defines cute.
52:51And of course, you can see how it gets its name.
52:54This super spiky skin.
52:57And this dinosaur appearance normally protects it from predators.
53:02Normally.
53:03But occasionally, this little animal has to pull off the riskiest con of all.
53:13Horned lizards lay eggs and then carefully bury them.
53:19Then they stand guard duty.
53:23Her camouflage keeps her concealed as she scans the horizon for any potential danger.
53:31And what's this?
53:33A western patch-nosed snake.
53:36That's not good.
53:38She eyes him up.
53:40But she is not the one in danger.
53:43You see, this is an egg-eating snake.
53:46There's no point in staying hidden now.
53:50It's protecting the eggs that's important.
53:53She charges into battle.
54:06Her frenzied attack drives the snake away.
54:18It's a tactic that works when it comes to protecting eggs.
54:24So, a horned lizard like this can recognize its adversary, measure the threat to its eggs, and then decide on
54:34the appropriate defensive response.
54:36All very clever stuff.
54:39But what about if the tables are turned?
54:44Well, then, the lizard has to change its strategy.
54:48And that's when things get really interesting.
54:56A coach-whip snake.
54:58A coach-whip snake.
55:00This snake eats lizards.
55:03And she knows it.
55:17First, she tries a simple scan.
55:20Puffing herself up.
55:22To look bigger, more intimidating.
55:28But this doesn't fool the persistent snake.
55:33This is now a matter of life and death.
55:39So, she's forced into pulling the sneakiest strategy of all.
55:45Her greatest deception.
55:53She's faked her own death.
56:02If the snake doesn't buy the con, this is going to backfire in a spectacularly bad way.
56:11But snakes, you see, never eat dead animals, unless they've made the kill themselves.
56:29Completely confused, the snake slopes off.
56:35A quick peek to check the coast is clear.
56:42And she springs back to life.
56:48Ready for whatever life throws at her next.
56:55Surely, this has to be the ultimate predator response.
57:02Faking your own death right under the nose of your most dangerous enemy.
57:06It's audacious and it's gutsy.
57:09And what's more, this little lizard actually decides when to fight and when to pull off that show-stopping deception.
57:18And by making that decision, it can protect its eggs and keep itself alive.
57:25What about that?
57:27In fact, I'm going to give the horned lizard a very rare 10 out of 10.
57:32Not just because of the behaviour, but also because I'm totally in love with it.
57:38Look at it. It's my little dinosaur.
57:43All these extraordinarily sneaky animals have gone to incredible lengths to fool their enemies.
57:51And outwit their predators.
57:55By using deception, they've overcome one of life's greatest challenges.
58:01Staying alive.
58:09Next time, we meet the animals using sneaky strategies to find food.
58:17The hunters.
58:19The con artists and thieves who will stop at nothing to get a meal.
58:24These animals definitely don't play by the rules.
58:31And the series continues in the new year.
58:34Going retro now with Dad's Army.
58:36Captain Manorings cracking the jokes and carving the turkey next on BBC Two.
58:40That's followed by seasonal sketches from the two Ronnies.
58:43A festive treat featuring Elaine Page on the way in half an hour.
58:47And it wouldn't be Christmas night without a ballet.
58:49Carlos Acosta's Carmen.
58:51The farewell performance over on BBC Four now.
58:54Call a way in And when they do not matter, be them now.
58:54Many people!
58:57It will not be a part of these lessons in the world with self-worth.
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