Page 37 - World of Animals - Issue #30
P. 37

Nature’s most cunning



                                                                        Margays mimic

                                                                        baby monkeys to


                                                                        trick the adults
                                                                                               a
                                                                                          e
                                                                            ick
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                                                                                                  d
                                                                        The margay, a small jungle cat,   likely that this is why the felines
                                                                        is known to use a rather cruel   came up with their ploy to
                                                                        trick while hunting for food.   mimic the monkeys, emitting a
                                                                        It pretends to be a panicked   high-pitched squeal that sounds
                                                                        baby monkey, alarming nearby   enough like a baby tamarin to
                                                                        parents and causing them to   worry their relatives. When they
                                                                        run straight into the path of the   run down from the branches to
                                                                        prowling predator.         inspect the situation, the margay
                                                                         Although they are skilled   pounces. Scientists think that

                                                                        climbers, margays find it tricky   other cats, such as jaguars,
                                                                        to chase agile creatures like   might also mimic their prey in
                                                                                                     s
                                                                                      h
                                                                                                       w
                                                                                            . I
                                                                                             t i
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                                                                                               s
                                                                                          e
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                                                                                                    h
                                                                                         r
                                                                                                         y.
                                                                                       e t
                                                                                                     i
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                                                                                ro
                                                                           a
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                                                                        t tamarins through the trees. It is     t this way.
                                                                        a
                                                                            i
                                                                             s t
                                                                            n
                                                                               h
                                                                                   “When the tamarin runs
                                                                                 down from the branches
                                                                                    to inspect the situation,
                                                                                        the margay pounces”





            Black seadevils use luminous

            fishing rods to tempt their prey
            Some of our planet’s most bizarre   depths, other creatures can
            creatures live in the ocean, and   only see a bobbing pinprick
            the black seadevil is no exception.   of light. Suspecting a tasty
            This fiendish deep-sea dweller is a   snack, they swim up to it – a

            type of anglerfish, named aer the   fatal error. The seadevil strikes


            light-emitting organs attached to   out with its extendable jaws,
            their heads. The seadevil uses its   swallowing the hapless victim.
            glowing appendage (known as a   Like a snake, it can gorge on

            photophore) like a fishing rod, dangling   creatures more than twice its size –
            it temptingly in front of its enormous,   useful in the deep sea, where meals

            toothy mouth. In the dark ocean   are oen few and far between.
                                                                                                                           37





   034-040_Nature's Most Cunning.indd   37                                                                               03/02/2016   14:52
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