Verbal Deception

Verbal deception

Much like the previous forms of deceptions and mimicry in animals; the use of sound and verbal signals can be exploited in order to deceive possible predators, prey or even members of the same (or different) species. Remember in my second blog? Batesian mimicry; where a harmless animals mimics the appearance of harmful one? Well, certain animals have evolved to utilise sound and verbal signals in the same way, to mimic the sounds of a harmful animal in order to avoid predation. Syntomrida epilais(Polka-Dot Wasp Moth) is an animal that utilises this method. It copies a clicking sound that the distasteful Cycnia tenera (Delicate Cycnia Moth), that predators have some learn, has signalled to predators. However, The Polka-Dot Wasp Moth is an incredible evolutionary example that utilises multiple deceptions and will be explored in great detail later in the future.

Dicrurus adsimilis (Fork-tailed Drongo) is a small passerine bird that has the ability to mimic false alarm calls of not only their on species but other species as well. The Drongo would make these alarm calls when watching a target handling there food, in response to which the target would abandon their food for the safety of cover. They then utilise this opportunity to steal the abandoned food. Flower (2011) has described that the Fork-tailed Drongo has even shown the ability to mimic the alarm calls of Suricata suricatta (Meercats). Further examples of verbal deception and mimicry will be explored next week.

Figure 1: Dicrurus adsimilis watching over a hunting ground. Photographer: Rust de winter (2004)

References

Flower, T. (2011). Fork-tailed drongos use deceptive mimicked alarm calls to steal food. Proceedings. Biological Sciences / The Royal Society. 278, 1548-55.

Rust de winter, L. (2004). Dicrurus adsimilis watching over a hunting ground. http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fork-tailed_Drongo. Retrieved: 24/04/2015