Many organisms rely on the power of deception to navigate life-or-death situations, employing various modes of mimicry to bewilder, befuddle, and even bewitch other organisms.

There are many different types of mimicry, all of which involve an organism ‘copying’ an element of another, whether that be visually, audibly, behaviourally, or chemically.

How do mimetic animals recognise their own species? Do they ever mistake a different species for their own?

The most common types of mimicry in nature are Batesian mimicry, where harmless species resemble dangerous ones, Müllerian Mimicry, where multiple dangerous species share similar warning signals (such as bees and wasps), and aggressive mimicry, where a predator mimics a harmless signal to attract prey.

These aren’t the only types, though. According to an exhaustive study published back in 1982, there may be as many as 14 different types of mimicry - some cases even fit more than one type!

Here are 10 mysterious mimics that even when seen can’t quite be believed…

10 mysterious mimics

Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillars (Batesian mimicry)

If you came across this caterpillar, crawling along the branch of a tree in its forested home in the eastern US, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d encountered a snake. This devilish disguise works particularly well with birds, making them think twice before they take a bite of this otherwise defenceless caterpillar.

These caterpillars don’t just look like snakes by virtue of their long, cylindrical bodies and similarly green/brown colours, they possess other tricks that help turn their disguise from fancy dress to professional-level cosplay. As they mature, they develop false eyespots, resembling the head of a snake.

They’re also able to stick out a forked, smelly organ known as an osmeterium that to any but the most eagle-eyed of birds, looks just like a snake's tongue.

The cosplaying talents of these caterpillars doesn’t stop there either. In the first stages of their lives, these caterpillars mimic bird droppings. Later, when they’ve transformed into adult butterflies, some dark morph females will mimic the closely related but poisonous pipevine swallowtails to avoid becoming a tasty snack.

Spider-tailed horned viper (aggressive mimicry)

Most forms of mimicry are defensive, serving to protect the mimic from hungry predators. This isn’t the case in the example of the spider-tailed horned viper, which uses its namesake tail to lure birds to its den before it strikes, injecting them with a dose of deadly venom.

This silent predator is endemic to western Iran where it lies in wait on rocky outcrops, using its patchy, brown and white markings to blend in with its surrounding landscape. Once it has found a suitable spot, the snake will begin waving the lure at the end of its tail.

This lure, which is made up of a series of modified, elongated scales, looks just like a spider - the snake is even able to make it move in the same, creepy fashion a spider does.

Such an enticing display is irresistible to many insectivorous birds, namely larks and flycatchers. The venom of the spider-tailed horned viper is specifically tailored to their winged prey, destroying a wide variety of cell types and coagulating their blood at a remarkable speed of just 13 seconds.

From two penises to regrowing teeth and playing dead – discover 14 amazing snake facts you (probably) won't have heard before

Passion flowers (Gilbertian mimicry)

Unlike in a typical Batsesian mimicry system, where the mimic, its model, and the dupe belong to three different species, the predator in a Gilbertian system is both the model and the dupe.

This type of mimicry is incredibly rare and only really observed in plants, such as the roughly 550 species belonging to the South American genus, Passiflora.

These plants, also known as passion flowers, are parasitised by heliconious butterflies, who lay their eggs on their leaves, which later serve as food for the resulting caterpillars. However, females will avoid laying eggs on leaves already claimed by other egg-laying females.

This quirk has afforded passion flowers an opportunity to evolve a rather cunning disguise - fake egg spots. By displaying small, yellow spots on their leaves, passion flowers are able to hoodwink heliconious butterflies, sending them on their way to other plants unlucky enough to have not yet worked out the perfect disguise.

Sabre-toothed blenny (Wicklerian mimicry)

The phrase ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’ is perhaps the most accurate way to describe the sabre-toothed blenny (or false cleanerfish), a 10cm-long, meek-looking fish that turns into a voracious vampire whenever it comes within biting distance of its prey.

In order to gain the trust of the larger fish it feeds on, sabre-toothed blennies mimic the patterning and swimming behaviour of cleaner wrasses - industrious fishes that serve as the beauticians of many coral reefs, removing external parasites, mucus, and dead skin cells from the bodies of other fish.

After getting the go-ahead to ‘clean’, a sabre-toothed blenny will drop its act and use its large canines to tear chunks of flesh off its unsuspecting client. To add insult to injury, these fish inject their prey with a form of opium to dull the pain and ensure they can continue stealing morsels of meat.

Meet 9 animals that enjoy getting high: Why nature's party animals love psychoactive drugs, opium, booze and more...

Rubber boas (automimicry)

Most predators go for the head when attempting to kill their prey, so it certainly pays to make a less vital body part look like the most vital body part.

This tactic is employed by hairstreak butterflies, whose rear ends look just like their heads, complete with false antennae. It’s a method that clearly works; when scientists collect these butterflies they’re often found with rear wing damage.

However, few animals pull off this kind of automimicry (making a body part look like another body part) better than rubber boas.

When threatened, these nonvenomous, North American snakes will tuck their heads beneath their bodies and stick out their disturbingly head-looking tails. This can buy rubber boas precious seconds to escape from their various predators, which include hawks, owls, coyotes, skunks, and even domestic cats.

Killdeers (Aristotelian mimicry)

Named after the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who described the practice in his History of Animals, Aristotelian mimicry is a form of mimicry where animals, typically birds, lure predators away from their flightless young using a variety of distraction plays.

Aristotle observed partridges doing just this, rolling over in front of hunters while their broods escaped. Killdeers behave in a similar way to protect their offspring. These American birds feign injuries, limping, hopping, and displaying ‘broken’ wings in an effort to divert attention from their defenceless chicks onto themselves.

They’ve also been observed performing so-called ‘ungulate displays’, where adults raise their wings, expose their rumps, and lower their heads before charging at a predator. This method isn’t quite as effective as their Oscar-worthy broken-wing performances, and according to some studies can actually be fatal to the displaying killdeer.

Head-butting, drowning and dive-bombing – discover 10 most aggressive, badass animals on the planet that aren't afraid to put up a fight

Cheetah cubs (Batesian mimicry)

Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Getty Images

As one of the top predators in Africa, not to mention the fastest, four-legged land animal on Earth, you wouldn’t think cheetahs would need to rely on mimicry to survive. While that may be true of adults, cubs utilise a form of Batesian mimicry to deter predators like lions and hyenas, giving them a better chance of surviving to a reproductive age.

In the first three months of their lives, cheetah cubs possess a thick, silvery-grey mantle of hair along their backs, which - when they’re viewed from a distance - makes them look just like a honey badger.

This small, cockapoo-sized mustelid has a fearsome reputation, and for good reason; they’re known to savagely attack anything brave (or perhaps stupid) enough to stand up to them, including lions, hyenas, and even elephants. In other words, they’re a perfect disguise for a helpless cheetah cub.

Orchid mantis (mimesis)

There’s camouflage, and then there’s what the orchid mantis does. Instead of just assuming the colour of its surroundings, this ambush predator effectively becomes the thing it’s pretending to be, the flower of an orchid.

The disguise is so effective that orchid mantises are able to hide themselves in plain view and take their pick of pretty much any pollinating insects that fly by. As well as physically resembling the flower of an orchid, these insects have also been observed swaying in an effort to mimic flowers blowing in the breeze. This disguise has a secondary effect too, protecting them from potential predators.

Like other mantises, the orchid mantis is capable of striking at staggering speeds. According to one study, these stealthy assassins can strike and catch their unsuspecting prey in just 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds).

False eyes (various animals) (automimicry)

If you’re a fan of monster movies, or perhaps vanquishing abominable bosses in role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate, then you’ll be familiar with the phrase, ‘go for the eyes!’ This is a surefire way to temporarily, or even permanently, blind a potential threat, or a potential meal.

Mother Nature has long been aware of this fact, which is why so many animals have evolved false eyes on various, less important parts of their bodies. The appropriately named foureye butterflyish has two large, false eyes at the base of its tail and will even swim backwards to trick predators into thinking its rear end is actually its front end.

Other examples of animals that make use of false eyes include pygmy owls, who have two big, black spots on the backs of their heads, various caterpillars, like the eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar discussed above, and even tigers, whose ears sport large, dark circles that give the illusion they’re always watching, even when their heads are bowed while drinking.

Mimic octopus (dynamic mimicry)

This list of mysterious mimics wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus). While some animals are capable of multiple types of mimicry, none can shapeshift into more than a dozen types of animals. This is what a mimic octopus is capable of and it’s how the species got its name.

So far, mimic octopuses have been documented mimicking 18 different marine animals, from anemones, jellyfish, and feather stars, to flatfish, lionfish, and sea snakes. These octopuses are even capable of observing other animals and imitating them on the fly, changing their shape and colour to match those of their models.

The most impressive thing about the mimic octopus isn’t necessarily its shapeshifting ability, but rather that it’s able to selectively choose its disguise depending on the situation it finds itself in. For example, a researcher once observed a mimic octopus being attacked by a damselfish take on the form of a sea snake, one of the main predators of damselfish.

It only seems like a matter of time until Hollywood catches wind of these invertebrate actors and starts casting them in future blockbusters.

"After getting the go-ahead, it will drop its act and use its large canines to tear chunks of flesh off its unsuspecting client." Nature's 10 biggest, greatest liars and con artists

10 mysterious mimics

Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillars (Batesian mimicry)