Masters of Disguise: Amazing Animal Tricksters

by Rebecca L. Johnson

Overview

In the animal kingdom, survival is the name of the game—and not everything is as it seems. A number of animals rely on particularly clever tricks to fool predators or prey. A baby bird mimics a poisonous caterpillar. A moth escapes bats by making sounds that interfere with the bats' echolocation. A tiny rain forest spider builds a big spider "puppet" out of bits of dead leaves, insect parts, and other items. Find out more about some of nature's most bizarre and bloodthirsty con artists and meet the scientists who are working to figure out just how they pull off their amazing tricks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728467092
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/02/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	651,288
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.14(d)
Age Range:	10 - 11 Years

About the Author

Rebecca L. Johnson writes award-winning nonfiction for children and young adults about scientific discoveries and the scientists who make them. She hopes her books will inspire new generations of scientists by introducing readers to some of the remarkable species with whom we share the planet. Learn more at www.rebeccajohnsonbooks.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Art of Deception 4

Chapter 1 Coat of Many Corpses 6

Chapter 2 Copycat 10

Chapter 3 Baby Sings the Blues 14

Chapter 4 You Are What You Eat 18

Chapter 5 Straw Man 22

Chapter 6 Dead Ringer 26

Chapter 7 Shell Game 30

Chapter 8 Cloaking Device 34

Chapter 9 Web of Deceit 38

Afterword How Do They Do It? 41

Meet the Scientists 43

Sources Notes 44

Glossary 44

Selected Bibliography 45

More to Explore 46

Index 48

Editorial Reviews

"Disguises are common in nature, but here, Johnson puts the spotlight on nine creatures who take mimicry or camouflage to a whole different level. From a rain-forest bird called the cinereous mourner, whose fuzzy orange chicks not only look but even move like a certain poisonous caterpillar, to a small spider that builds a big, eerily realistic spider-shaped 'puppet' from found materials, most of the lineup here will be new even to well-read young naturalists. Most are also both recent discoveries and the subjects of ongoing study, and after profiling the distinctive capabilities or behaviors of each animal, the author follows up with a 'Science behind the Story' introduction to the findings and hypotheses of zoologists engaged in that research. Along with portraits of these scientists in their natural settings (indoors and out), the excellent photos offer revealing views of each insect or other trickster, of select body parts, and of characteristic predators or prey. Rightly expecting that readers are going to want to know more after these tantalizing glimpses, the author closes with professional source notes as well as leads to further general information in print and on the Web. From an assassin bug's 'Coat of Many Corpses' on, a truly astonishing look at some of nature's most ingenious predatory or survival strategies."—starred, Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

04/01/2016
Gr 4–7—Duped! Hoodwinked! Bamboozled! Animals have long developed fantastic traits and abilities, or disguises, to help them survive and navigate their environment. Johnson hooks readers with gripping descriptions, close-up photographs, and profiles of the various scientists dedicated to studying these animals. Each creature and scientist combo is given four pages—just enough to whet readers' appetites. As Johnson includes more recent discoveries (Cyclosa, the "puppeteer spider," was discovered only in 2012), readers will feel the rush of learning something before anyone else. Scientists working in both field and lab are presented in candid photographs. With an almost equal number of men and women scientists featured, this work makes it easy for today's students to picture themselves in similar scientific shoes. VERDICT This exciting and easy-to-digest title will make for an excellent purchase and addition to booktalk lists.—Jennifer Wolf, Beaverton City Library, OR

School Library Journal

★ 2015-12-22
Disguises are common in nature, but here, Johnson puts the spotlight on nine creatures who take mimicry or camouflage to a whole different level. From a rain-forest bird called the cinereous mourner, whose fuzzy orange chicks not only look but even move like a certain poisonous caterpillar, to a small spider that builds a big, eerily realistic spider-shaped "puppet" from found materials, most of the lineup here will be new even to well-read young naturalists. Most are also both recent discoveries and the subjects of ongoing study, and after profiling the distinctive capabilities or behaviors of each animal, the author follows up with a "Science behind the Story" introduction to the findings and hypotheses of zoologists engaged in that research. Along with portraits of these scientists in their natural settings (indoors and out), the excellent photos offer revealing views of each insect or other trickster, of select body parts, and of characteristic predators or prey. Rightly expecting that readers are going to want to know more after these tantalizing glimpses, the author closes with professional source notes as well as leads to further general information in print and on the Web. From an assassin bug's "Coat of Many Corpses" on, a truly astonishing look at some of nature's most ingenious predatory or survival strategies. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews