13 Amazing Animals That Use Tools

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• published: 17 Sep 2016
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It's unbelievable what animals are actually learning to do from chimps using spears to sea otters using stones to open an oyster! Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr 7. Flossing Monkeys Species of monkey known as Macaques, living near an old Buddhist shrine in Lopburi, Thailand, are known to use certain materials to floss their teeth. A macaque monkey might use a piece of string or human hair to get at that obnoxious chunk of food stuck between their molars. Some visitors to the Buddhist shrine in Lopburi have had the unfortunate experience of a monkey pulling out their hair to use as dental floss. Only a specific group of these macaques are known to exhibit such erratic behavior--probably because one monkey had the bright idea of flossing and others followed. I guess “monkey see, monkey do” is a descriptive term after all. 6. Parrots with Pebbles Before it was known that parrots make use of tools as means to ends, in this case, to attain seeds for nourishment, it was already well known that chimps and crows used tools towards similar ends. Now that there are several documented cases of parrots using tools, like the Greater Vasa Parrot in this image using a pebble to crack open a shell, we can feel confident categorizing these birds as industrious animals. Don't even worry about cracking open nuts for your pet parrot, he can handle it himself. 5. Boxes & Bears Researchers at Washington State University decided to test the intuitiveness of this grizzly bear by dangling a donut on a string just far enough out of reach of this bear’s outstretched claws. Out of the eight recorded grizzly bears, six of them were clever enough to push a nearby stump of wood or a plastic box underneath the hanging donut. By climbing steadily on top of the object, the bear was able to get that extra foot or two necessary for finally grasping with their eager bear claws the tasty, dangling treat. 4. Farming Ants Leafcutter ants, though the smallest living creature on this list, are one of the most incredible with their unique use of leaves as tools, or more specifically, as fertilizer. Leafcutter ants have been utilizing a technique for millions of years whereby the ants scrounge the earth for fallen leaves and bring them back to their nests. The ants proceed to chew off tiny bits of the leaves and plant them in the ground where their colony resides. A type of fungus located in the nest of these ants breaks down the leaf into a pliable material used to produce “fruiting bodies.” These fruiting bodies are a digestible, protein-rich power food for the ants. It’s incredible to think that these insects had developed an effective agricultural strategy millions of years before humans walked the earth. 3. Sponger Dolphins We knew dolphins were smart, but we didn’t know they were this smart. Scientists at the University of New South Wales observed a bottlenose dolphin using a sea sponge as a tool. The dolphin will forage marine sponges from the sea floor and push them along with their rostrum (or beak). The sponge acts as a protective cushion for the dolphin’s sensitive noses while they are out scavenging for food in the water. Apparently, the baby dolphins, like the one in this image, learned this behavior from their mothers. Because a baby dolphin’s beak is still in development, the mother dolphin developed a clever way to sheath it. 2. Stylish Crabs The dresser crab is unique in that it may be the only animal known to dress itself with fabrics or other materials found in the sea. However, the garnishments worn by these crabs are not for looks, but to camouflage themselves against predators. A dresser crab will normally use materials like seaweed or bits or coral to camouflage their body since these things are found in abundance in the water. Once in awhile, though, a dresser crab can be seen wearing fabrics or even jewelry dropped in the water by people. The dresser crab is a tailor, too. If a piece of fabric is too big, like a shirt or dress, the dresser crab will cut it down to a smaller size. They will attach the fabric to protruding spikes on their legs and claws. Dresser crabs are definitely the most stylish creatures in the sea. 1. Spear-Hunting Chimps Number one on this list is chimpanzees. Most people are familiar with chimps using sticks to gather insects from a hole in a tree, but now some chimps in western Africa have learned how to fashion weapons from sticks. That’s right; chimps are learning to use spears, and they are pretty effective. Chimps’ diets don’t normally consist of meat, nuts and shrubs are usually okay with them, but once in awhile, they get an urge for some animal flesh. Chimps will usually hunt small game, like rodents and rabbits. They have even been known to share their meals with chimps of the same social group. Perhaps this is a glimpse into our own ancestral past when hunting and gathering among humans first began.