Use of leaves to inspect ectoparasites in wild chimpanzees: a third cultural variant?
We report 26 cases of using leaves as tools with which wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda, appeared to inspect objects removed during grooming. Careful removal of potential ectoparasites and delicate lip or manual placement on leaves followed by intense visual examination characterised this behaviour. It appears to be done to judge whether either ingestion or discarding is most appropriate, the former occurring in most cases. This behaviour may represent a third variant of ectoparasite handling, different from those described at Tai and Gombe, yet sharing features with the latter. These two East African techniques may thus have evolved from leaf grooming.
Assersohn
Clea
C
Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9JU, Fife, UK.
Whiten
Andrew
A
Kiwede
Zephyr T
ZT
Tinka
John
J
Karamagi
Joseph
J
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000502:physiology; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D014454:Uganda