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Liars, cheats and copycats: Trickery and deception in nature
Meet some of the world’s most dastardly creatures, who lie, cheat and deceive for a living.
There’s the deadly praying mantis that looks like an innocent pink flower. The assassin bug that strums spider webs to lure in a tasty snack. The cuttlefish that changes colour to hide its romantic intentions.
To understand how these creatures swindle their way to the top, Liars, Cheats and Copycats reveals the science behind camouflage, mimicry and masquerade. Taking readers on a journey from tropical rainforests to the darkness of deep ocean trenches, James O’Hanlon explores how animals and plants use deception to avoid predators, lure in prey and even reproduce.
From creatures that disappear in front of your eyes to ones that misdirect their foes like masterful magicians, there are endless ways that animals can swindle their way to survival.
There’s the deadly praying mantis that looks like an innocent pink flower. The assassin bug that strums spider webs to lure in a tasty snack. The cuttlefish that changes colour to hide its romantic intentions.
To understand how these creatures swindle their way to the top, Liars, Cheats and Copycats reveals the science behind camouflage, mimicry and masquerade. Taking readers on a journey from tropical rainforests to the darkness of deep ocean trenches, James O’Hanlon explores how animals and plants use deception to avoid predators, lure in prey and even reproduce.
From creatures that disappear in front of your eyes to ones that misdirect their foes like masterful magicians, there are endless ways that animals can swindle their way to survival.
- GenresNonfiction
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
7 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 25, 2025
[Published in Tasmanian Times]
The best popular science books not only reveal marvellous things about our world, and surprise us with the latest findings, but also ask questions we can’t answer yet. James O’Hanlon’s Liars, Cheats and Copycats manages all three in a relaxed, good-humoured and unpretentious style that makes the book an engaging and thoroughly entertaining read.
In uncovering ‘trickery and deception in nature’, O’Hanlon, artist, scientist, storyteller and author of Silk and Venom, goes well beyond the mysteries of tigers’ stripes, clever camouflage and defensive strategies to avoid harm or trick the unwary.
Do zebras’ distinctive look-at-me stripes disguise them from predators? No, but the answer isn’t obvious, and the real predator that zebras confound with those unmissable hides is one that took science to a surprising conclusion.
There are so many types of camouflage – some to attract or misdirect, chemical camouflage to hide or lure, behavioural trickery to win out over rivals for resources, auditory deception and many others beyond the range of our human senses.
Incredibly, plants too are able to deceive, confuse or disappear to attract or repel whom they, and the processes of evolution, choose. There are orchids that gaslight insects to manipulate the sex ratios of their pollinators to increase their number. There is an incredible vine whose leaves mimic whatever plant or tree they’re growing across to look less delicious, in the same way a chameleon or cuttlefish might change shape and colouration to blend in.
The strategies are so many, and some so sophisticated, that the author, like most field botanists and biologists, asks a forbidden question: can animals lie?
There is an unwritten law in biology to never anthropomorphise – to never attribute human-like behaviours to other fauna or flora – so the strict answer is ‘no’. But, keep topping up O’Hanlon’s glass and, toward the end of the evening, you might just get a more nuanced, even emphatic, bar-thumping answer to the positive.
There is the marvellous ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of camouflage and deception, the stunning mechanisms of evolution that produce literal wonders, but, as in all sciences, there are always more unanswered questions to ask. And that, my friends, is what science is about – curiosity, uncertainty and the discovery of better questions to ask.
Another marvellous little book from O’Hanlon, and a great preface to any time spent in the natural world to ensure you’ll be asking ‘what am I seeing’ and ‘what am I not?’
The best popular science books not only reveal marvellous things about our world, and surprise us with the latest findings, but also ask questions we can’t answer yet. James O’Hanlon’s Liars, Cheats and Copycats manages all three in a relaxed, good-humoured and unpretentious style that makes the book an engaging and thoroughly entertaining read.
In uncovering ‘trickery and deception in nature’, O’Hanlon, artist, scientist, storyteller and author of Silk and Venom, goes well beyond the mysteries of tigers’ stripes, clever camouflage and defensive strategies to avoid harm or trick the unwary.
Do zebras’ distinctive look-at-me stripes disguise them from predators? No, but the answer isn’t obvious, and the real predator that zebras confound with those unmissable hides is one that took science to a surprising conclusion.
There are so many types of camouflage – some to attract or misdirect, chemical camouflage to hide or lure, behavioural trickery to win out over rivals for resources, auditory deception and many others beyond the range of our human senses.
Incredibly, plants too are able to deceive, confuse or disappear to attract or repel whom they, and the processes of evolution, choose. There are orchids that gaslight insects to manipulate the sex ratios of their pollinators to increase their number. There is an incredible vine whose leaves mimic whatever plant or tree they’re growing across to look less delicious, in the same way a chameleon or cuttlefish might change shape and colouration to blend in.
The strategies are so many, and some so sophisticated, that the author, like most field botanists and biologists, asks a forbidden question: can animals lie?
There is an unwritten law in biology to never anthropomorphise – to never attribute human-like behaviours to other fauna or flora – so the strict answer is ‘no’. But, keep topping up O’Hanlon’s glass and, toward the end of the evening, you might just get a more nuanced, even emphatic, bar-thumping answer to the positive.
There is the marvellous ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of camouflage and deception, the stunning mechanisms of evolution that produce literal wonders, but, as in all sciences, there are always more unanswered questions to ask. And that, my friends, is what science is about – curiosity, uncertainty and the discovery of better questions to ask.
Another marvellous little book from O’Hanlon, and a great preface to any time spent in the natural world to ensure you’ll be asking ‘what am I seeing’ and ‘what am I not?’
October 25, 2025
Reviewed by Trish Palmer for New South Books and Bluewolf Reviews.
Not only the title of this book, ‘Liars, Cheats and Copycats’ surprising, but the illustrations on the front cover also make it a must read. James O’Hanlon is well known for his science writing and his previous novel, “Silk and Venom.” When the author completed his studies, he was inspired to travel to Malaysia to search for a rare mantis.
He was full of excitement and enthusiasm, not worried about stories of the tigers who roamed the jungle, after all, surely a bright orange striped, large animal would be easy to spot. However, in a rainforest the complexity of tree trunks, shrubs and shadows in the dense undergrowth make the perfect camouflage for this animal. This may have been the catalyst which helped James to explore the many ways that plants and animals deceive.
Animals find many places to hide, and the author describes some, like the small crab who hides inside the anus of the sea cucumber. However, hiding is not the best solution for staying safe. Birds and animals use camouflage, and scientists are just discovering how this mode can “Hack the circuits of other animals’ eyes and minds.” There is also the adaptation that animals use when they change colour. They can do this in a few seconds.
Plants have ways of deterring unwanted guests. One plant has small paddle shaped leaves which slowly rotate. It may be that this gives the image of a butterfly settling and may deter other butterflies from stopping and laying eggs on that leaf. Orchids also can pose a threat to insects by mimicking plants who have abundant pollens. There are stories told about bugs who attract ants, allow them to bite, then jump on the ant’s head and kill it.
James’ light, style, simple descriptions, fun stories and facts make this an entertaining book to read and an amazing introduction to the world of nature.
Available for Pre Order.
Not only the title of this book, ‘Liars, Cheats and Copycats’ surprising, but the illustrations on the front cover also make it a must read. James O’Hanlon is well known for his science writing and his previous novel, “Silk and Venom.” When the author completed his studies, he was inspired to travel to Malaysia to search for a rare mantis.
He was full of excitement and enthusiasm, not worried about stories of the tigers who roamed the jungle, after all, surely a bright orange striped, large animal would be easy to spot. However, in a rainforest the complexity of tree trunks, shrubs and shadows in the dense undergrowth make the perfect camouflage for this animal. This may have been the catalyst which helped James to explore the many ways that plants and animals deceive.
Animals find many places to hide, and the author describes some, like the small crab who hides inside the anus of the sea cucumber. However, hiding is not the best solution for staying safe. Birds and animals use camouflage, and scientists are just discovering how this mode can “Hack the circuits of other animals’ eyes and minds.” There is also the adaptation that animals use when they change colour. They can do this in a few seconds.
Plants have ways of deterring unwanted guests. One plant has small paddle shaped leaves which slowly rotate. It may be that this gives the image of a butterfly settling and may deter other butterflies from stopping and laying eggs on that leaf. Orchids also can pose a threat to insects by mimicking plants who have abundant pollens. There are stories told about bugs who attract ants, allow them to bite, then jump on the ant’s head and kill it.
James’ light, style, simple descriptions, fun stories and facts make this an entertaining book to read and an amazing introduction to the world of nature.
Available for Pre Order.
December 7, 2025
“Do animals even know what sticks are?”
James O’Hanlon, known for explores nature’s deception in Liars, Cheats and Copycats. Inspired by his search for a rare mantis in Malaysia, O’Hanlon examined how animals and plants use camouflage, deception, mimicry, and masquerade to survive. From lying butterflies (I left out O’Hanlon’s expletive reference to butterflies!) crab parasites, cuckoos (if I write koel, a species of cuckoos, many Aussies will groan lol) to colour-changing cuttlefish, he explored some of the many fascinating adaptations that let these creatures hide, hunt, steal, or reproduce through trickery. Plants are just as deceptive with moving parts, as well as insects pretending to be orchids to lure in their prey.
This was a masterful blend of science and vivid storytelling: “we think we can trust our senses, we think we are masters of our own behaviours and the decisions we make, but our attention is constantly pulled in all directions” that challenges our understanding of pants and animals. Some of the other notable mentions and questions from this book include whether cuttlefish are “intentionally lying to each other do they understand concepts such as honesty and dishonesty?” – in a manner of speaking, O’Hanlon said yes! And whether “animals know that they're tricking other animals” and the joy that he seemed to have describing how scientists were messing around with squirrels and moving their acorn stores to watch their reactions.
“Most animals have no idea that deception is taking place there is no duplicitous … behind their interactions … [and] it's unlikely that accept if creatures perceive their own appearance or behaviours in the same way their victims do”. O’Hanlon explained these concepts so well yet left us humbled by the fact that “the mindset of other living things may forever be something that we can imagine and infer, but never truly comprehend”.
James O’Hanlon, known for explores nature’s deception in Liars, Cheats and Copycats. Inspired by his search for a rare mantis in Malaysia, O’Hanlon examined how animals and plants use camouflage, deception, mimicry, and masquerade to survive. From lying butterflies (I left out O’Hanlon’s expletive reference to butterflies!) crab parasites, cuckoos (if I write koel, a species of cuckoos, many Aussies will groan lol) to colour-changing cuttlefish, he explored some of the many fascinating adaptations that let these creatures hide, hunt, steal, or reproduce through trickery. Plants are just as deceptive with moving parts, as well as insects pretending to be orchids to lure in their prey.
This was a masterful blend of science and vivid storytelling: “we think we can trust our senses, we think we are masters of our own behaviours and the decisions we make, but our attention is constantly pulled in all directions” that challenges our understanding of pants and animals. Some of the other notable mentions and questions from this book include whether cuttlefish are “intentionally lying to each other do they understand concepts such as honesty and dishonesty?” – in a manner of speaking, O’Hanlon said yes! And whether “animals know that they're tricking other animals” and the joy that he seemed to have describing how scientists were messing around with squirrels and moving their acorn stores to watch their reactions.
“Most animals have no idea that deception is taking place there is no duplicitous … behind their interactions … [and] it's unlikely that accept if creatures perceive their own appearance or behaviours in the same way their victims do”. O’Hanlon explained these concepts so well yet left us humbled by the fact that “the mindset of other living things may forever be something that we can imagine and infer, but never truly comprehend”.
January 9, 2026
This is a really enjoyable read and fascinating exploration of deception in nature - including camouflage, mimicry, false promises, and reflections on what it means to lie. It also is a great reminder of how perception of the world around us can vary a lot, depending on if you're a human, a cuttlefish, or a wasp.
January 12, 2026
Fantastisk velskrevet bog som beskriver de mange snydetricks og andre finurligheder der findes I den naturlige verden.
En ret kort bog (under 200 sider) hvilket gør man ikke bliver træt af emnet (kan godt ske med bogle dyre bøger), og så skriver han også bare i sjov dagligdagstale.
Kun 1 kapitel kan få lidt kritik for kun at handle om planter. Come one man, i aint about that botany shit
En ret kort bog (under 200 sider) hvilket gør man ikke bliver træt af emnet (kan godt ske med bogle dyre bøger), og så skriver han også bare i sjov dagligdagstale.
Kun 1 kapitel kan få lidt kritik for kun at handle om planter. Come one man, i aint about that botany shit
December 29, 2025
My brother Alex got me this and I loved it so much, so interesting and frankly one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews