Chimpanzees use grass as a fashion item.
A new study has found that captive chimpanzees have begun sticking blades of grass out of their ears and buttocks in what is being hailed as an unusual 'fashion'.
Scientists have noted that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) insert grass or sticks into their ears or anuses and then leave them there for a period of time. This behavior does not appear to have any physical or medical purpose, but is transmitted from one chimpanzee to another.
The grass-in-the-ear behavior was first reported in 2014. At the time, it was only observed in one group of chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary in Zambia. Now, another group at the same sanctuary has independently adopted the habit and introduced a new style: carrying grass in the anus. Scientists describe the new behavior in a study published July 4 in the journal Behavior.
You might be interested
-
Capuchins have begun snatching newborn howler monkeys in a bizarre and deadly habit
-
Australia's 'trash parrots' now create local 'drinking tradition'
Sourse: www.livescience.com
