Development of skilled detection and extraction of embedded prey by wild brown capuchin monkeys (cebus apella apella)
Brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella apella) in Suriname forage on larvae enclosed within healthy bamboo stalks. We applied the searching versus handling dichotomy of optimal foraging models to highlight developmental processes contributing to foraging on embedded prey. Larvae acquisition begins with search; selecting an appropriate stalk and locating the embedded larvae; followed by handling, ripping […]
How Do Banded Mongooses Locate and Select Anvils for Cracking Encased Food Items?
Banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) extract encased food items by throwing them against anvils. Observations indicate that their chosen anvils are generally hard enough to crack open casings, suggesting an understanding of the physical properties that render an anvil suitable for cracking. We report results from two field experiments investigating spatial and physical aspects of anvil […]
The Evolutionary Origins and Ecological Context of Tool Use in New Caledonian Crows
New Caledonian (NC) crows Corvus moneduloides are the most prolific avian tool users. In the wild, they use at least three distinct tool types to extract invertebrate prey from deadwood and vegetation, with some of their tools requiring complex manufacture, modification and/or deployment. Experiments with captive-bred, hand-raised NC crows have demonstrated that the species has […]