'You start painting pictures of squirrels twirling their mustaches': A biologist on whether animals can lie

Deception in the animal kingdom often goes unnoticed by both the creatures involved and scientists. From moths resembling hornets to orchid mantises mimicking flowers to attract pollinators, deception is a common trait among these animals. However, biologist James O Hanlon explores tactical deception that manipulates another animal's perception and questions whether this can be considered lying.

Hanlon's book, "Liars, Cheats and Copycats: Trickery and Deception in Nature" (Columbia University Press, 2026), delves into this topic and addresses why many scientists hesitate to accept that animals can lie. An excerpt from Live Science highlights a chapter beginning with a question from a senior citizens club attendee about orchid mantises, which left Hanlon puzzled about the mantis's awareness of its camouflage.

This sparked the idea that animals may not need to understand their deceptive abilities for their effectiveness. Hanlon acknowledges that the answer to whether animals can lie intentionally remains uncertain, but many behaviors appear to demonstrate this capability. When comparing these findings to studies on chimpanzees and dogs, Hanlon notes that tactical deception is more prevalent in social animals, suggesting it may have evolved for social exploitation.

This revelation challenges the notion that intelligence is the primary driver of lying, implying that survival in social settings is a more significant factor.