* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Country music star apologizes after drunken show ends with cops taking him down: ‘I’m not OK’ – PennLive.com

    Country Music Star Apologizes After Drunken Show Ends in Police Intervention: ‘I’m Not OK

    Comanche Nation Entertainment closes casino near Devol – KSWO 7News

    Comanche Nation Entertainment Closes Casino Near Devol in Surprising Move

    Erykah Badu Announces ‘Abi & Alan’ Album With The Alchemist Will Be Delayed – yahoo.com

    Erykah Badu Opens Up About the Delay of Her Highly Anticipated ‘Abi & Alan’ Album with The Alchemist

    If You Needed Some BTS Pics Of The Rock’s Tree Trunk Legs To Spice Up Your Day, We Got ‘Em – yahoo.com

    Need a Boost? Check Out These Epic BTS Shots of The Rock’s Tree Trunk Legs!

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    South Park Is In Trouble And Needs To Change Course, Fast – yahoo.com

    South Park Faces Major Challenges and Must Adapt Fast to Survive

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    China’s CATL sells stake in Finnish subcontract car manufacturer – Reuters

    China’s CATL Sells Stake in Finnish Auto Supplier in Strategic Move

    This Secret Technology Will Make The IPhone 17 Super Thin Air – VOI.ID

    How This Breakthrough Technology Will Make the iPhone 17 Incredibly Thin and Lightweight

    Gator football kicks off with excitement and new technology – WCJB | TV20

    Gator Football Kicks Off with Thrilling Action and Innovative Technology

    Marvell Technology (MRVL) Loses 18.6% as Growth Outlook Fails to Impress – Yahoo Finance

    Marvell Technology (MRVL) Loses 18.6% as Growth Outlook Fails to Impress – Yahoo Finance

    Propelling solar technology into a perovskite future – CORDIS

    Propelling solar technology into a perovskite future – CORDIS

    13 Top Technology Trends (2025) – Exploding Topics

    13 Game-Changing Technology Trends to Watch in 2025

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Country music star apologizes after drunken show ends with cops taking him down: ‘I’m not OK’ – PennLive.com

    Country Music Star Apologizes After Drunken Show Ends in Police Intervention: ‘I’m Not OK

    Comanche Nation Entertainment closes casino near Devol – KSWO 7News

    Comanche Nation Entertainment Closes Casino Near Devol in Surprising Move

    Erykah Badu Announces ‘Abi & Alan’ Album With The Alchemist Will Be Delayed – yahoo.com

    Erykah Badu Opens Up About the Delay of Her Highly Anticipated ‘Abi & Alan’ Album with The Alchemist

    If You Needed Some BTS Pics Of The Rock’s Tree Trunk Legs To Spice Up Your Day, We Got ‘Em – yahoo.com

    Need a Boost? Check Out These Epic BTS Shots of The Rock’s Tree Trunk Legs!

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    Sabrina Carpenter’s pearl-clutching magic? Humor – CNN

    South Park Is In Trouble And Needs To Change Course, Fast – yahoo.com

    South Park Faces Major Challenges and Must Adapt Fast to Survive

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    China’s CATL sells stake in Finnish subcontract car manufacturer – Reuters

    China’s CATL Sells Stake in Finnish Auto Supplier in Strategic Move

    This Secret Technology Will Make The IPhone 17 Super Thin Air – VOI.ID

    How This Breakthrough Technology Will Make the iPhone 17 Incredibly Thin and Lightweight

    Gator football kicks off with excitement and new technology – WCJB | TV20

    Gator Football Kicks Off with Thrilling Action and Innovative Technology

    Marvell Technology (MRVL) Loses 18.6% as Growth Outlook Fails to Impress – Yahoo Finance

    Marvell Technology (MRVL) Loses 18.6% as Growth Outlook Fails to Impress – Yahoo Finance

    Propelling solar technology into a perovskite future – CORDIS

    Propelling solar technology into a perovskite future – CORDIS

    13 Top Technology Trends (2025) – Exploding Topics

    13 Game-Changing Technology Trends to Watch in 2025

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

‘Fishing’ chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

November 17, 2023
in Science
‘Fishing’ chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

Chimp fishing for termites. Credit: Seth Phillips

The discovery that chimpanzees use tools to fish for termites revolutionized our understanding of their abilities—but we still don’t have crucial context to help us understand termite fishing and chimpanzee minds. Are chimpanzees fishing for a seasonal treat or trying their luck?

Researchers based at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and University College London (UCL) have investigated the relationship between termite availability and chimpanzee fishing. They found that termites are most available early in the wet season. Although other foods are abundant at that time, chimpanzees choose to termite-fish then.

“I believe these results set up an interesting hypothesis about wild chimpanzee foraging cognition,” said Dr. Vicky Oelze, UCSC, senior author of the study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. “Though we can never read a chimpanzee’s thoughts, we can perhaps start to get an idea of their expectations of resource availability by analyzing the instances in which they arrive at termite mounds and investigate them for fishing viability.”

Termite treats

Termites are a key source of nutrients for chimpanzees—but the species chimpanzees prefer live deep within fortress-like mounds. However, some termites will disperse to start a new colony elsewhere, leaving the mound via flight holes the chimpanzees exploit for termite fishing. In some places, chimpanzees fish all year; in others, fishing is seasonal.

Understanding termite availability is important to understanding the variation in chimpanzee use of fishing tools. Does tool use vary between chimpanzee populations because the opportunities are different, because needs are different, or because tool use is unlikely to be invented or maintained? To understand the predators, we need to understand the prey.

The scientists focused on Issa Valley, Tanzania, which has very distinct wet and dry seasons. The researchers collected years of meteorological data and camera trap footage of 13 mounds to map the dispersals and predation of termites across time. They also carried out termite-fishing trials at 14 mounds between 2018 and 2022, copying chimpanzee tools and techniques.

“When I first visited the Issa Valley, I quickly learned that it was more difficult to termite-fish than I had expected,” said Seth Phillips, UCSC, corresponding author. “It alerted me to the idea that effective foraging for these termite prey might be more complicated than people commonly understand it.”

Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

Chimp sniffing termite mound. Credit: Seth Phillips

Termites on the menu

Of 1,924 attempts at termite fishing, 363 extracted termites. The scientists found that they were much more likely to be able to extract termites as rainfall increased—until 200mm of rain had fallen. Then the proportion of successful trials dropped. Most termite mounds were most active between 50–200mm of cumulative rainfall. Dispersal flights only took place in the wet season and stopped almost completely after 400mm of rainfall.

“We are currently reviewing camera trap footage of the chimpanzee behaviors at these mounds,” said Phillips. “We want to know how chimps adapt their searching behavior according to seasonal changes. For instance, do they investigate termite mounds directly after rainfall after a long dry spell? This data could say something interesting about their foraging cognition as related to tool-use.”

Chimpanzees were among the most frequently recorded predators at termite mounds during dispersal flights and often arrived carrying a tool. At this time of year in Issa Valley, other food is available; the chimpanzees use tools to termite-fish because they can, not because they need to.

Gone fishing

Although some chimpanzee communities exploit termites all year, including at relatively nearby Gombe Stream, termite fishing there also peaks in the early wet season. Some year-round fishers may be benefiting from softer soil or more effective toolsets. It’s unclear whether more sophisticated tools would allow continuous exploitation of termite mounds at Issa Valley, but initial tests suggest otherwise.

“At the end of the day, we are human experimenters attempting to replicate a chimpanzee behavior,” cautioned Phillips. “It should not be taken for granted, for instance, that we are just as effective at foraging for termites with these tools as chimpanzees. I would expect the window of opportunity for chimpanzees to termite-fish in the Issa Valley is at least a little bit wider than it is for human researchers.”

More information:
A chimpanzee’s time to feast: Seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1289433

Citation:
‘Fishing’ chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat (2023, November 17)
retrieved 17 November 2023
from https://phys.org/news/2023-11-fishing-chimpanzees-enjoy-termites-seasonal.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2023-11-fishing-chimpanzees-enjoy-termites-seasonal.html

Tags: Chimpanzeesfishingscience
Previous Post

Heat-tolerant coral may trade fast growth for resilience

Next Post

Tibet activists and pro-China supporters demonstrate at APEC summit

Construction of forest ecological security patterns based on MSPA model and circuit theory in the Desertification Control forests in South China Karst – Nature

Construction of forest ecological security patterns based on MSPA model and circuit theory in the Desertification Control forests in South China Karst – Nature

September 2, 2025
Bringing life science to life: Park Crossing teacher recognized – WSFA

Bringing life science to life: Park Crossing teacher recognized – WSFA

September 2, 2025
Take flight: EH seventh-graders learn science through paper airplanes – The Daily Reporter – Greenfield Indiana

Soar to New Heights: Seventh-Graders Explore Science with Paper Airplanes

September 2, 2025
Marcos orders lifestyle audit of all government officials — Dateline Philippines – Asian Journal News

Marcos Initiates Comprehensive Lifestyle Audit of Government Officials to Boost Accountability

September 2, 2025
China’s CATL sells stake in Finnish subcontract car manufacturer – Reuters

China’s CATL Sells Stake in Finnish Auto Supplier in Strategic Move

September 2, 2025
Mariners call up top catcher prospect Harry Ford, which could help Cal Raleigh late in season – Yahoo Sports

Mariners Elevate Top Catcher Prospect Harry Ford, Strengthening Cal Raleigh’s Late-Season Push

September 2, 2025
ECB’s Lagarde warns of risk to world economy via Trump interference on Fed – Reuters

ECB’s Lagarde warns of risk to world economy via Trump interference on Fed – Reuters

September 1, 2025
The Resilient Engine: Investing in Poland’s Outperforming Economy Amid Global Slowdown – AInvest

The Resilient Engine: Why Investing in Poland’s Booming Economy Is a Smart Move Amid Global Slowdown

September 1, 2025
Country music star apologizes after drunken show ends with cops taking him down: ‘I’m not OK’ – PennLive.com

Country Music Star Apologizes After Drunken Show Ends in Police Intervention: ‘I’m Not OK

September 1, 2025
Arts to promote mental health goal of new University of Michigan clinical program – MLive.com

Innovative University of Michigan Program Harnesses the Arts to Enhance Mental Health

September 1, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (802)
  • Economy (820)
  • Entertainment (21,700)
  • General (16,804)
  • Health (9,861)
  • Lifestyle (835)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (822)
  • Politics (828)
  • Science (16,031)
  • Sports (21,319)
  • Technology (15,801)
  • World (801)

Recent News

Construction of forest ecological security patterns based on MSPA model and circuit theory in the Desertification Control forests in South China Karst – Nature

Construction of forest ecological security patterns based on MSPA model and circuit theory in the Desertification Control forests in South China Karst – Nature

September 2, 2025
Bringing life science to life: Park Crossing teacher recognized – WSFA

Bringing life science to life: Park Crossing teacher recognized – WSFA

September 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version