Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts may not call it lying, but they do agree that many animals behave dishonestly to fool other animals. Dishonesty often helps them survive(生存). | |
Many kinds of birds are very successful at fooling other animals. A bird called the plover sometimes pretends(假装)to be hurt in order to protect its young. When an enemy gets close to its nest, the plover pretends to have a broken wing. The enemy follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe. | |
Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries (埋)its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays also steal food. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays seem to know when others are watching them. So they get back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else. | |
Chimpanzees can also be sneaky. After a fight, the losing chimpanzee will give its hand to the other. When the winning chimpanzee puts out its hand, too, the chimpanzees are friendly again. But an animal expert once saw a losing chimpanzee take the winner's hand and start fighting again. When chimpanzees find food, it's natural for them to cry out. Then other chimpanzees come running. But some clever chimpanzees learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimpanzees don't hear them, and they don't need to share the food. |