Tool use | animal behavior | Britannica (original) (raw)
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elephants
In elephant: The trunk (proboscis) Tool use in elephants involves holding branches and scratching themselves in places that the trunk and tail cannot reach. Large branches are sometimes wielded, and objects may be thrown in threat displays. When elephants meet, one may touch the face of the other, or they will… Read More
mongooses
In mongoose: Natural history …are noted for their peculiar habit of opening eggs as well as other food items with hard shells (crabs, mollusks, and nuts). The animal stands on its hind legs and hits the egg against the ground. Sometimes it carries the egg to a rock and, standing with its back to… Read More
In otter: Saltwater otters Rocks are typically used to break open crabs and other shellfish, whereas sea urchins are crushed with the forefeet and teeth. Sea otter predation on the herbivorous urchins (genus Strongylocentrotus) enables kelp forests and the fish associated with them to flourish. However, large numbers of sea otters can… Read More
In sea otter Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. The thick lustrous coat is reddish to dark brown. The sea otter is the largest otter, reaching 100–160 cm (40–65 inches) long and weighing 16–40… Read More
birds
crows
In crow Such sophisticated tool use is only practiced by a handful of animal species. Read More
ravens
In raven …of value that can be used later as tools or as goods for barter, behaviour that strongly suggests that this bird has the ability to plan for a future when these items might be needed. Read More
primates
apes
In ape …in captivity to make simple tools (though some populations of orangutans and chimpanzees make tools in the wild). The great apes were formerly classified in their own family, Pongidae, but, because of their extremely close relation to humans and the fact that orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees are not as closely… Read More
chimpanzees
In chimpanzee: Intelligence Various tools are used in several contexts. Chimpanzees “fish” for termites and ants with probes made of grass stalks, vines, branches, peeled bark, and midribs of leaves. They crack hard nuts open by using stones, roots, and wood as Read More
orangutans
In orangutan: Behaviour In the wild, orangutans use tools, but at only one location in Sumatra do they consistently make and use them for foraging. In this context they defoliate sticks of appropriate size to extract insects or honey from tree holes and to pry seeds from hard-shelled fruit. In addition, at least… Read More
