10 Remarkable Animals That Use Tools
The ability to use tools was once considered a uniquely human trait. However, scientists have discovered a fascinating array of animals that creatively employ objects in their environment to solve problems, obtain food, and even for self-defense. Let’s deep dive into 10 incredible creatures that demonstrate exceptional tool-using skills.
1. Chimpanzees: The Masters of Tool Use
Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are renowned for their sophisticated tool use. They expertly craft tools for various tasks like:
- Termite fishing: Chimps create sticks by stripping leaves and insert them into termite mounds to extract delicious insects.
- Nut cracking: They use stones as hammers and anvils to crack open hard-shelled nuts.
- ‘Leaf sponges’: Chimps fashion sponges from chewed leaves to soak up water from hard-to-reach places.
2. New Caledonian Crows: The Avian Inventors
These highly intelligent birds from New Caledonia surprise researchers with their tool-making abilities. They are famous for:
- Crafting hooks: Crows carefully shape twigs and leaves into hooked tools for extracting grubs from crevices.
- Multi-tool kits: They carry different tools, selecting the most appropriate one for the task, demonstrating a level of planning.
- Problem-solving: Crows can even modify and combine tools to solve complex puzzles in experiments.
3. Sea Otters: The Rock-smashing Tool Users
Sea otters are adorable but also possess amazing tool-using skills. They use rocks for:
- Cracking open shellfish: Otters place a rock on their chest and smash clams or mussels against it to access the nutritious meat inside.
- Prying loose abalone: They use rocks as levers and hammers to detach tightly clamped abalone from rocks.
- Tool storage: Some otters have favorite rocks that they keep tucked in pouches under their arms.
4. Dolphins: The Sponge-Carrying Strategists
Bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, exhibit a unique tool-using behavior:
- Sponging: Dolphins carry marine sponges on their beaks while foraging on the seafloor for protection against sharp objects and to flush out buried prey.
- Cultural transmission: This behavior is primarily passed down from mothers to daughters, demonstrating cultural learning within animal societies.
5. Orangutans: Multifaceted Tool Users
These intelligent primates demonstrate versatile tool use in their rainforest habitat:
- Extracting food: Orangutans use sticks to dig for insects, access seeds inside tough fruits, or reach for honey.
- Comfort: They make ‘leaf gloves’ for handling thorny plants or use large leaves as umbrellas during rain.
- Communication: Sometimes orangutans break off branches and swish them around to communicate warnings or deter rivals.
6. Elephants: Astoundingly Adaptable Problem Solvers
Elephants, the world’s largest land animals, also amaze us with their resourcefulness:
- Environmental manipulation: They modify their environment using branches to scratch themselves, swat flies, or dig for water.
- Water access: During droughts, elephants can dig holes to reach underground water sources.
- Social Interaction: Elephants sometimes toss logs or branches playfully or to demonstrate dominance.
7. Octopuses: The Coconut-Carrying Tricksters
These cephalopods are masters of camouflage, but they also employ tools in remarkable ways:
- Mobile fortresses: Octopuses have been observed carrying discarded coconut shells. They can assemble the shells to create a protective shelter.
- Deceptive tactics: Some octopuses use shells to hide from predators or ambush prey.
8. Archerfish: The Sharpshooters