Scientists used to think that only humans and our closest relatives, chimpanzees, were smart enough to use tools. But as our understanding of the natural world becomes more and more detailed, perhaps humans should become less arrogant about their supposedly superior intellect. Because more and more we realize that many species are really skillful with sticks, stones and other tools. Here are some animals that know how to use tools but few people know about them.
The ancient seagull shrank
Seagulls shrink neck using tools.
Researchers observed puffins, or puffins, using the tool for the first time in 2018, when the seabirds grabbed sticks to scratch themselves. Video shot in the North Atlantic shows an adorable baby bird picking up a short stick and moving it towards its chest, like a scratching motion. Scientists believe they are either trying to relieve the itch or trying to get rid of the ticks.
While other birds, especially crows and parrots, are known for their skillful use of tools, the same is not true of birds like puffins. The team wrote in their study that: “The seabird’s cognitive capacity may have been significantly underestimated.”
Pig
Once depicted as lazy animals that only eat and sleep, the pigs are starting to receive more and more respect. Recent discoveries have shown that this animal is sensitive, cute and above all intelligent. Philippine wild boars used tree bark and sticks to build nests in a series of experiments conducted in the mid-2010s. And last year, researchers reported that pigs were able to play the game on their own. die to receive food.
Octopus
This tentacle-dwelling mollusk is one of the only known invertebrates to be able to use tools.
“In addition to solving quests using tools that reward lab food, wild octopuses have been shown to be able to build nests and use rocks. to create a kind of shield to protect the entrance”, Jon Ablett, senior curator of molluscs at London’s Natural History Museum, UK. “Some species of common blanket octopus are even known to use tentacles as weapons.”
Ants
Some species of ants are known to use tools, usually when they want to transport liquids. In a 2020 study, researchers watched fire ants move sand grains to suck sugar water out of a container. In another experiment, funnel ants were found to use sponges and paper – not items they’re used to – to absorb liquid food and bring it back to the nest.
Sea Otter
An otter is banging a mussel against a rock to open it.
This furry and marine mammal is known for using rocks to break open the shells of marine invertebrates, to get the meat inside. Specifically, sea otters can use the abalone like a hammer, smashing it against rocks at a rate of three times per second to break the hard shell of their prey. Moreover, the way otters use different tools also depends on their ecological environment.
Crocodile
An alligator holds a tree overhead to attract unlucky waterfowl.
Crocodiles were by far not reptiles or tool users. But in 2013, researchers discovered how swamp crocodiles in India and alligators in the US use sticks as bait to catch prey. They will hide near the area with waterfowl, then balance on the nose with branches and sticks. The birds will come close to bite a tree branch to build a nest, and if unlucky, they will be trapped by the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. If you ever see a small stick on top of a log in the water… best just leave it there.
Refer Gizmodo