I have often wondered if nature plots and plans and (as we love saying) “strategises” with Machiavellian cunning to get her way. The creepiest examples of these have to do with camouflage, defence and mimicry. Innumerable species of mammals, birds, insects, fish et al are cunningly clad so that they completely blend into their ecosystems (the tiger is a classic example). Some go a step further by pretending to be dangerous and venomous by mimicking relatives that are — butterflies provide good examples of this. Evolution tells us that this has all happened by chance over millennia, but it does make you wonder: is there some great evil genius at work here, plotting its moves step by step?
Take red-wattled lapwings as another example, in a different sort of way. These leggy bronze birds usually lay four perfectly camouflaged eggs amidst clods of earth or rocks and stones. The parent birds (which must be the most neurotic in the avian kingdom), however, will not let you get anywhere close to the nest — they’ll launch an all-out dive-bombing attack, screaming accusingly (“Did-he-do-it? Did-he-do it”!), and drive you away. Now this may divert, say, cattle that could trample the eggs, but surely canny predators like a pack of stray dogs will cotton on and dodge the bombardment and winkle it out…
I can only guess that this behaviour “evolved” more as a defence against buffaloes, in which group they have alas, included us…
Ranjit Lal is an author, environmentalist and bird watcher
This story appeared in print under the headline The Pretend Game
