Eastern grey squirrels are crafty: They'll go to great lengths to hide their stashed nuts by digging decoy holes to keep nut theives guessing.
Here are the Best Liars in the Animal Kingdom
From sneaky squid to blue jay impressionists, deceit abounds in the animal kingdom.
Nature is brutal, and some creatures have evolved their own sneaky ways of surviving, from mimicking other animals to taking advantage of dutiful parents.
Birds are among nature's most gifted liars. For instance, “blue jays do a good job of imitating a variety of hawk species,” says Bob Mulvihill, an ornithologist at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. (Read about why we lie in the new issue of National Geographic magazine.)
The supposed “hawk” causes other birds to scatter, leaving the jays with sole access to bird feeders—and thus an easy meal.
North America's cowbirds produce up to 40 eggs a season, and instead of making their own nests, females sneaks them into other birds’ nests.
“They’re the quintessential bird that
