In nature, the fastest and strongest usually wins. However, being a predator is not so easy. After all, it takes so much time and effort to pursue prey, and besides, not all attempts are successful. Predators may waste time, may be injured or even killed by their potential prey. Not surprisingly, some animals prefer to operate in other, rounder, more cunning ways.

As a result, there are beasts with highly specialized and incredible abilities. Their adaptation to environment allows you to deceive your victims. They are not even aware of the danger that lurks very close. By the time the victim discovers their killer, it's already too late. Let's talk below about some of the most amazing living creatures-deceivers created by nature.

Attractive tail. in Mexico and Central America there is a snake called a cantil. It looks like an American copperhead viper. The bite of the cantile is very poisonous, as a result of which hemorrhage is formed, and kidney failure is possible. If the victim is not provided with urgent medical care then she will die. Wise snakes prefer to keep their venom exclusively for prey. They feed on small animals, which include birds, frogs, lizards, and even some mammals. Cantil is not as fast as a cobra - it has a heavy and short body, which makes it difficult to quickly chase prey. Therefore, nature has awarded such a snake with a cunning gift, which helps to lure victims into its trap. The cantilever has a whitish or bright yellow tip on the tail. By moving it, the snake imitates a wriggling worm. Such a bait easily deceives small animals, which are suitable for the role of the victim. It remains only to let the naive hunters get closer and put their deadly poison into action. Some other snakes use a similar trick, but this viper is the most famous deceiver of them.

Turtle with the jaws of a crocodile. Few can imagine dangerous predator in turtle. Meanwhile in North America V fresh water there is an animal that reaches a weight of 100 kilograms. The vulture turtle has chosen for itself rivers, lakes and swamps, mainly in the Mississippi basin. The animal cannot chase its prey, but it has claws and a sharp jaw. To capture its victims, this turtle uses a cunning hunting technique. The predator is located in the water motionlessly, resembling a safe rock from the side. At the same time, the turtle's jaws are wide open. The tongue has a fleshy, bright red appendage that resembles a worm. He wriggles, luring fish to him. They try to grab their prey, falling instead into the turtle's powerful jaws. This tricky technique works best during daylight hours, when prey can see the bait well. At night, the turtle switches to another type of hunting - any slow living creature or even carrion gets into its mouth.

Bearded shark. This shark is one of the most interesting in its family. She comes from Australia, where she got her nickname "wobbegong", which means shaggy beard. Unlike most of its relatives, this predator moves slowly and does not know how to pursue its prey. The shark prefers to lurk motionless on seabed. This is facilitated by their successful protective coloration, which helps to hide both from other predators and from potential victims. Around the jaw of a predator are fleshy appendages that look like a beard. They provide a double benefit. The silhouette of the shark softens even more against the background of the bottom, camouflage improves. Yes, and small fish are interested in such formations, they swim up to the reach of a predator. But one of the species of the bearded shark uses a different tricky technique, more active. In fact, these are the same actions as the viper mentioned above. The shark flicks its tail to deceive small fish and luring them into a trap. The bearded predator is very flexible, it can turn around in a matter of moments. Any fish interested in the intently snapping tail becomes prey within seconds. In addition, the tail is unusual - it has a slight branching at the tip and a dark spot that looks like an eye. The bait is very similar to fish. The bearded shark reaches 3.5 meters in length, but people do not need to be afraid of it - we are simply not interested in it.

Angler. Deep underwater lives a fish known for its fearsome appearance and strange reproductive skills. The monkfish is the most famous baited predator. Curiously, this technique is peculiar only to females. A modified spinal ridge acts as a bait. It protrudes just above the predator's mouth, like a fisherman's hook. At the end of such a formation there is an organ that looks like an onion. It houses luminescent bacteria that, like a firefly, generate blue-green light. Leather scary fish does not reflect blue light, but absorbs it. As a result, only the hook itself is visible in the water column, while the monkfish itself remains invisible. The bait attracts fish, but as soon as they approach the light, a predator jumps out of the darkness and swallows the prey. It is interesting that sea ​​line bones and stomach are so flexible that he can swallow prey twice his size!

Tentacle snake. This snake was found in South-East Asia. Its habitat is water and its food is fish. main feature such a creature - located on the head of a strange fleshy tentacles. The processes are very sensitive, with its help the snake picks up any movement in the water, attacking the fish that is nearby. Another interesting feature Predator is the incredible speed of his attack. It takes only 15 milliseconds to capture prey. But fish are also equipped with strong protective reflexes, so even speed does not always help to succeed. That is why the snake uses cunning tricks to make prey move towards it. Feeling the approach of the fish, the curving snake begins to sway its body slightly. The fish immediately takes off running, but this is exactly what the snake expects, quickly turning its head so that the fish itself swims into its mouth.

Green heron. If the mentioned predators use the features of their body as bait, then the green heron is deprived of such an advantage. But a smart and quick-witted bird learned to hunt fish with the help of improvised means. In order to attract fish, the bird leaves something edible or interesting on the surface of the water. Small fish swim closer to eat or just look, and immediately fall into the bird's beak. This technique is not inherent in all green herons, only the smartest. These tricksters even experiment with different types baits. Some herons steal bread from ducks, which people feed them, and then use it for their hunting. Other birds use small fish as bait, thereby gaining the opportunity to catch larger ones. How green herons learned to fish with bait, no one knows. Some scientists believe that these birds adopted this skill from people. Perhaps herons are just very observant, having learned to use the fact that small fish flock around any object that has fallen into the water. In any case, this behavior is not instinctive, which makes the green heron an intelligent and cunning predator.

Bedbug deceiver. Hunter bugs, strangely enough for us, are one of the most deadly hunter insects. Although they are not very fast, they have many different inventive ways of hunting in their arsenal. Some bedbugs disguise themselves as ants, thus getting an excellent opportunity to hunt them. Others use camouflage to hide in ambush from their prey. Among the amazing hunter bugs, those that feed on spiders stand out. When the hunter finds the web, he begins to swing it with his paws, sending impulses similar to the vibrations of the victim caught in the net. The spider decides that it is time to feast on its prey, but he himself falls into the clutches of a predator. Deception is cruel in its unexpectedness.

Nosuhi. These animals, also known as coatis, belong to the raccoon family and are common in Latin America. Females and young usually live in large groups, but males prefer to live alone. Animals feed mainly on worms, fruits, insects and bird eggs. However, noses have strong claws and large fangs, which makes it possible for them to hunt even larger animals. It is no coincidence that the coati favorite dish - green iguana. This big lizard lives on trees, which contributes to its deception. Coati in their hunting use group deception with subsequent capture. Some individuals climb the tree, frightening the iguana. The lizard jumps down, where another group of predators is already waiting for it. Much to the regret of iguanas, they have an instinct to jump to the ground from a tree whenever they are in danger. Thus, the coati trick becomes, although simple, but very effective.

Fireflies fight for survival. Everyone knows the ability of fireflies to produce light. Such bioluminescence is a means of insect communication and an opportunity to attract attention. So, fireflies Photinus, have differences between females and males. Females have short wings, unlike their males, they do not know how to fly. When mating season arrives, the males light up and flash to attract females. Those in response flare up too. Each species has its own unique glow, which helps them easily find each other. But Photuris fireflies are more cunning. Their females mimic the glow of Photinus females by attracting foreign males to them. When they fly to the call of love, a strange female attacks them and eats the poor fireflies. Female Photuris, called fatal females, thanks to this skill receive not only food, but also protection. After all, Photinus males have a certain chemical, which repels predators such as spiders and birds from insects. But Photuris are deprived of such chemical protection, and therefore they eat unfortunate relatives. The main thing is not to confuse your male with a stranger.

Voice mimic. The ancient Romans believed that there was a monster called Crocotti. They believed that the creature was either from India or Ethiopia. Crocotti outwardly resembled a wolf, but he knew how to imitate human speech. When the monster was hungry, he made his way to the villages and carefully eavesdropped on the conversations of people near the houses. The creature eventually remembered someone's name, then called him into the forest and ate there. Such a frightening performance, however, is just an overblown version of the real beast - the hyena. After all, they really know how to make sounds that resemble human ones. But hyenas can't talk. And the term "crocotti" even entered science, being official name this animal. But among the predators there is one that actually imitates the voices of its victims, luring them. More recently, scientists have discovered that margi, a small tree animal from the cat family, has such a talent. He lives in Mexico, South and Central America and knows how to imitate the voices of little monkeys in trouble. Such sounds attract excited adult primates, which the marga then attacks. When scientists saw this behavior of a predator in the forests of Brazil, they were very surprised. But the local Aborigines - not at all. They also told scientists that the Margae can imitate the sounds of other animals. These include the wingless bird tinami, and the large rodent agouti. Such cunning behavior is directly related to the psychology of the animal, which needs to be investigated. Perhaps our pets can also be taught to speak.

Spotted angler. Residents of the Amazon Basin note that one of the jaguar's favorite treats is fish. To catch it, the predator uses a cunning trick. The jaguar lowers its tail into the water, its movements imitating a floating insect or a fallen fruit. Soon the fish swim closer to the surface to examine the bait. The jaguar immediately pulls curious victims out of the water with its paw. Although this behavior of the animal is not a secret for indigenous peoples, scientists cannot observe it, confirming it as a fact.

Despite the fact that man is the crown of evolution, he is far from being the strongest, cunning, dexterous and fast. Some species of animals are so cunning and resourceful that, if necessary, they can give odds even to themselves. smart person. The most cunning animals photos and description TOP-10 - look!

The most cunning animals photo and description TOP-10

The most cunning animals photo and description - Foxes

The ten most cunning creatures are opened by foxes. The fox's cunning and dexterity are even spoken of in fairy tales and cartoons, so most people consider the fox to be the personification of cunning. For example, if you look at South American foxes, it is hard to argue with their extraordinary quick wit and dexterity. The main delicacy of these red creatures is eggs. big birds however, they are quite difficult to obtain. And yet, to get their tidbit, foxes for a long time they wait until the mother flies out of the nest, and then quietly creep up and steal her eggs. Egg bird of prey very heavy, so the foxes have to push it with their nose to the nearest stone, after which they break it and eat the contents.

The most cunning animals photo and description - Rats

Many will be surprised to see rats in the list of the most cunning creatures, because for everyone they are just simple rodents. In fact, these little tailed creatures should not be so underestimated, because they have various unusual abilities. For example, rats can climb even into the most inaccessible places, gnaw on unnecessary things, thereby harming people. Most surprisingly, in the United States of America, rats destroy $19 million worth of communications equipment every year. In addition, rat populations are incredibly huge, because only in New York there are about 70 million cunning rodents.

Chameleons

The most cunning animals photo and description - Chameleons

Everyone knows that chameleons can change color when they need it. Perhaps many will think that they only have this ability for protection, but they also change color when communicating with each other. When their color changes, their mood also changes, that is, in this way they express fear, anger, etc. Another feature of these funny creatures is that it is impossible to look into their eyes, since each eye of a chameleon lives its own life.

caterpillars

The most cunning animals photo and description - Caterpillars

To escape from enemies, the caterpillars take various forms, thereby merging with flowers, twigs, blades of grass, etc. However, among them there are those who prefer other methods of disguise. So, some scare off predators with their poisonous coloration, strange growths or frightening bristles, and some even eat poisonous plants or meat, as a result of which they cease to be appetizing for hunters.

Turtles

The most cunning animals photo and description - Turtles

Everyone is used to the fact that turtles are kind, harmless, and most importantly slow creatures. As it turned out, not all types of turtles are like that. There are also predatory turtles, including the vulture turtle. She tracks down her prey for a long time, after which she attacks her and bites painfully. To capture the victim, this smart and cunning creature uses its tongue. Outwardly, it is very similar to a worm, which is a very good bait for fish.

Fireflies

The most cunning animals photo and description - Fireflies

Even these crumbs were in this rating. They use their glow not only for beauty, but in order to attract a partner. Many predators have mimic this feature fireflies, so they often use it, thereby luring fireflies to their dinner.

The most cunning animals photo and description - Langurs

The animals got this name in honor of a bold and very cunning god. Langurs live near the temples of India, because they are considered sacred creatures there. Despite the fact that the monkeys are very kind and peaceful, they often rob visitors, although they never get anything for it.

virginian opossums

The most cunning animals photo and description - Virginia opossums

Opossums are very cunning creatures, so they can easily deceive a predator. When a threat approaches them, they pretend to be dead, and so well that predators always bypass them. As soon as the animal begins to feel danger, it instantly pretends to be dead, in addition, it even begins to stink from it, like from a corpse.

Orangutans

The most cunning animals photo and description - Orangutans

Of all the animals on the planet, orangutans are among the smartest. These creatures know how to use tools, make them on their own, and even solve difficult problems. These creatures are so smart and cunning that they can easily open even the heaviest locks in zoos, so zookeepers often have a hard time. Sometimes this skill is used by people to test park constipation.

The most cunning animals photo and description - Cuckoo

These cunning birds decided to rid themselves of maternal worries, so they always scatter their eggs in the neighbor's nests. It is rather surprising that all the eggs turn out to be the right color and size, and the little cuckoo behaves very well. Not only mothers get rid of children, but stronger brothers and sisters push weaker ones out of their nest. Thus, all cuckoos grow up with foster parents who feed them even when they grow to enormous sizes.

To survive in the animal world, it is not always enough to be strong or agile. Some animals, even without these qualities, live on Earth for thousands of years. Cunning helps them survive.

vulture turtle

Most of us consider turtles to be one of the most harmless representatives of the fauna. But not everything is so simple. In fresh waters in the southeastern United States, the vulture turtle lives, which reaches 60 kg in weight. One of its features is a sharp jaw, so teasing it is not recommended, it can bite very hard.

Another unusual feature of this tortoise is Peckam's mimicry. Its essence is that a predator lures prey with the help of its favorite food, which is not food at all. So, the vulture turtle, half buried in the silt, lies at the bottom and, with its mouth wide open, sticks out a worm-shaped bright pink tip of the tongue.

The "worm" instantly attracts the attention of the fish: they swim up, try to grab it, and eventually become the turtle's dinner. It is also noteworthy that it is the vulture turtle, along with the caiman turtle, that is used to make turtle soup.

Hanuman's langurs

Hanuman's langurs are temple monkeys from India, also found in Nepal and Sri Lanka. They got their name in honor of the monkey-like deity Hanuman, whose cult is one of the most popular in Hinduism. Accordingly, these cute monkeys are revered as sacred. Such an attitude has spoiled the animals; they take away everything they like from temple visitors. Nothing can be brought back sacred monkey inviolable.

In addition, these, at first glance, peaceful little animals can fight if you try to catch or tease them.

Fireflies

Insects are a class of invertebrate arthropods. Therefore, they are also in our rating. Among the unique insects, entomologists unanimously rank fireflies for their ability to produce light. Harmless bugs? No, Photuris fireflies are cunning predators that eat their own kind.

There is a genus of fireflies with differences between females and males, such as Photinus. Males fly, while females are deprived of this opportunity due to short wings. During the mating season, males glow to attract females, who light up in response. The firefly flies to his girlfriend... But sometimes he gets eaten. The fact is that female Photuris fireflies imitate the glow of Photinus and attract foreign males to themselves. By eating Photinus males, Photuris predators gain both food and protection from birds and spiders, as the males they consume have a special chemical.

Rats

Rats are agile, smart, fast (their speed is about 10 km / h) and penetrate into apparent inaccessible places. Their ability to adapt to various poisons is unique, as well as to recognize those with which they have already unsuccessfully tried to poison her.

The ability of rats to chew on everything, including what, at first glance, cannot be chewed, causes significant damage. But rats can also be very useful. So, they can be called a symbol of science. With a fast metabolism, calm disposition and unpretentiousness, laboratory rats are the favorite "colleagues" of researchers around the world. And no replacement has yet been found. Domestic rats easily get along with the same cats.

Cuckoo

It is believed that cuckoos are divided into so-called ecological races. Each of these groups carries eggs of a certain color and throws them into the nests of birds, laying eggs similar shade. At the same time, the cuckoo swallows one host egg on the spot or takes it with it. A child hatched from a cuckoo egg is also very insidious: it either pushes other chicks out of the nest, or, being larger, intercepts their food, dooming the chicks to death.

However, out of five cuckoo eggs thrown, only one cuckoo survives, since some birds, having found someone else's egg, leave their nests. Another interesting fact is that the male cuckoo, during the period of feeding chicks, guards that part of the habitat where the female laid her eggs.

Tentacle snake

It is also called herpeton. A freshwater snake whose zest is a pair of tentacle-like outgrowths covered with small scales. Also, algae grow on the skin of the herpeton, helping to camouflage and successfully hunt fish. With the help of tentacles, the snake catches the movements of fish in the water.

Feeling the approach of prey, the bent snake begins to sway slightly, the fish rushes to its heels, and at this time the herpeton quickly turns its head so that the prey itself swims into the mouth. It takes no more than 15 milliseconds to attack. The hunt is completed successfully in eight out of ten cases.

virginian opossum

This domestic cat-sized animal is the only marsupial in North America. Despite the fact that possums prefer thickets near swamps and along the banks of water bodies for living, they easily coexist with humans, choosing in such cases underground communications or abandoned structures for recreation.

But what is most unique is not their ability to adapt to the presence of humans in their habitats. Special interest represents the ability of opossums to pretend to be dead. Thus, the involuntary reaction of this animal to severe stress is expressed. The opossum enters a cataleptic state that can last up to six hours. The animal lies on the ground, curled up in a ball and tucked limbs. At the same time, the opossum with its mouth ajar and its tongue protruding emits a fetid greenish secret through the anal glands. Predators take a potential prey for carrion and leave it alone. The opossums themselves tend to feed on insects, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and fruits.

Cunning... this quality is inherent even in animals, but who is the most cunning animal on Earth? Let's talk about it further...

People are accustomed to consider themselves the crown of creation of the planet Earth. But what is the reality? Let's look around: we are not the strongest, not the most agile, not the fastest ... and not even the most cunning! In nature, there are a lot of creatures that can beat us in everything in no time. As for resourcefulness, here is a list of the most cunning animals to confirm.

No. 1 - Fox

Tales have been written about the cunning of this beast for more than one generation, legends and rumors circulate. Take, for example, the South American fox, which simply loves to steal rhea eggs. But the nandu themselves are not small birds, so the red cheats do not dare to enter into open confrontation with them. What are they doing?


The South American fox is a lover of rhea eggs.

They patiently wait for the mother hen to move away from the nest. At this moment, the fox pushes the egg out, but since it is large and it will not work to carry it in its mouth, it pushes its “prey” with its nose until a stone comes across the road. The egg breaks against the barrier, and the fox quickly drinks the contents.

No. 2 - Rat


The gray rat is a fast and cunning rodent.

These crafty creatures not only know how to quickly evade persecution, they also cause harm. When are they all done? No one can answer this question, the fact remains that, whose populations reach incredible proportions, cause great damage, while remaining uncaught.

No. 3 - Chameleon


Chameleons are animals that skillfully use their natural abilities.

The chameleon is not so much a cunning animal as it is a resourceful one. Well, who else is also able to quickly change color in order to escape from an annoying enemy? Scientists have found that the "color games" of the chameleon serve for him not only as a means of disguising himself from a predator, but also as a way of expressing his own mood. If the animal is angry, or it is afraid, or even wants to attract the shooting of the opposite sex, then a change in skin color comes to its aid.

No. 4 Vulture Turtle


Who said that a turtle is a slow, clumsy creature leading a measured lifestyle? This is far from the case, an example of this is. She uses her tongue to hunt... yes, yes, this animal is a predator, despite all the cuteness. So, the tongue of a vulture turtle looks like a small pink worm. Swimming to such a bait, an unlucky fish can easily become a turtle's dinner.


No. 5 - Virginia Possum

This cunning animal has acquired an unusual skill in the course of evolution: it knows how to pretend ... what is so surprising about this, you say? The Virginia opossum can pretend to be... dead, it even smells like a dead carcass. What does the animal look like at the same time so believable that confused predators pass by the “carrion” without any interest, not even realizing that they were simply “cheated”.


The Virginia opossum demonstrates its ability to "die alive".

No. 6 - Cuckoo

The cunning of our next contender for the role of "brilliant deceiver" lies in his ... irresponsibility.