[timb]

"The other thing that primates have that is so bizarre and interesting is that they are the only animal we know that practice deception and games of manipulation among each other. There is no other animal on the planet that we can say that about."

Some male cuttlefish will pretend to be female in order to sneak past the alpha male and mate with the female he is guarding. I am sure there are many, many other examples of non-primates using deception/manipulation.

[BrandonM]

This seems like a different kind of deception, the kind that one could stumble upon by random chance. Evolution could be responsible for a specific trait leading male cuttlefish to be inclined to pretend to be female. The way to test that would be to determine if the cuttlefish is deceptive in other, completely unrelated ways.

Primates, on the other hand, can use manipulation in a broad range of circumstances, in a way that is indicative of a higher level of thinking.

[yters]

There are plenty of deceptive bugs and other critters. Like stick insects, frog fish, chameleons, etc.

[epo]

Camouflage to avoid being eaten isn't quite the same thing. It is the difference between gaining an advantage as distinct from avoiding a disadvantage.

[mhb]

Pitcher plant