Scientists in India have discovered that bandit crocodiles hunt in groups, use sticks as bait to lure herons and egrets within range, show interest in flower garlands floating in rivers, and rescue stray dogs being chased. I observed him behaving strangely. by other dogs.
of new researchIn a paper published Aug. 26 in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, the robber crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) They live in the Savitri River in the Indian state of Maharashtra and are more cognitively advanced than scientists currently think.
However, while these observations are interesting, experts contacted by Live Science were skeptical, saying that while hunting behavior has been reported anecdotally before, the latter two claims are almost certainly anthropomorphic. He pointed out that this was just speculation.
“Crocodilians certainly have a sophisticated set of behaviors,” he said duncan leechHe is a biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who specializes in reptile neurophysiology, but was not involved in the study. “But some of these conclusions use the definition of human intelligence and try to locate it in crocodiles.”
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A new study documented several instances in which schools of robber crocodiles swam in circles around schools of fish, forming eddies. Their movements are thought to have corralled the fish, and the crocodile was observed preying on the fish while doing this behavior. A similar action is Previously observed in other crocodiles.
A recent paper suggests that bandit crocodiles appear to use sticks to lure wading birds such as cattle egrets.Toki Toki). These birds use sticks when building nests, and competition for prime twigs can be intense. Therefore, placing a branch on the tip of a crocodile’s snout may seem like an attractive option.
a 2013 paper They also recorded a series of anecdotal observations of crocodiles using sticks to lure wading birds.
“The crocodile’s sensory system is incredibly sophisticated. They have very good vision. Their sense of touch is one of the best in the animal kingdom,” Leach said. “They are definitely tuned to pick up signals from the environment. Whether this is intelligence, in the same way we see crows using tools, is difficult to determine.”
He added that the anecdotal evidence cited is not widely accepted among crocodile researchers.
The authors also said that robber crocodiles appear to be attracted to marigold garlands (Tagetes erecta) Flowers fell into the river during the funeral. The researchers suggested that crocodiles may be lured by both the flower’s color and its antibacterial properties.
However, the crocodiles were not observed interacting with or eating the flowers; they were simply found near them. The authors cite an incident in which a captured crocodile was observed playing with bougainvillea flowers, but no such behavior was observed among the robbers.
Crocodile empathy?
Researchers also reported an incident in which a young dog was chased into a river by a pack of adult stray dogs. The three robber crocodiles appeared to be trying to push the dog back to shore rather than eat it.
”[The crocodiles] “The crocodile actually touched the dog with its snout, encouraging it to proceed further,” the researchers wrote. You can safely climb the embankment and eventually escape. ”
The authors interpret this behavior as empathetic, suggesting the crocodile may have been concerned about the dog’s safety. While it’s certainly interesting that they didn’t eat obvious prey, there’s little evidence that crocodiles can empathize with other species, Leach said.
“They are [the authors] They may be coming from an anthropomorphic perspective and trying to attribute abilities that they may not potentially have,” Leach said.
Anecdotal findings such as those provided in this paper may provide prospects for further research. But without more rigorous research, Leach says those are just anecdotes.