Tummy rumbles? Otters juggle pebbles when hungry, study finds

[Judi Lynn]

Asian otters’ playfulness with rocks a mystery but Exeter study links juggling to hunger

Nicola Davis

@NicolaKSDavis
Tue 5 May 2020 19.00 EDTLast modified on Tue 5 May 2020 19.36 EDT

Whether tossing pebbles between their paws or rolling stones on their chest and even into their mouth, otters are experts at rock juggling. Now researchers say the behaviour largely appears to be linked to a rumbling tummy.

Many species of otters are known to toss pebbles around, often while lying on their backs, in what appears to be an example of animals playing with inanimate objects. Mari-Lisa Allison, of the University of Exeter, said: “[I have seen] an otter at the fence putting a pebble through the mesh and then catching it underneath and rolling it round, round the fence”.

But quite why otters rock-juggle has been something of a conundrum. Now Allison and colleagues say their experiments back up the view that otters rock-juggle more when they are hungry.

“This seems to be the immediate driver of the behaviour. There, in that moment, they are rock juggling because they are hungry, they are anticipating food and they are getting excited,” said Allison. But, she noted, further research is needed. “The ultimate function is still quite a mystery,” she said.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/may/06/tummy-rumbles-otters-juggle-pebbles-probably-when-peckish

[dewsgirl]

1. Otters are the cutest.

[BigmanPigman]

2. Otters always look like they are just having the best life,

playing and having fun on land and in water, alone or in groups. I wanted to be reincarnated into one since I was a kid but 5 years ago I changed my mind. I knew they would end up suffering due to climate changing their environment.

[mercuryblues]

3. They otter be careful

they could poke their eye out doing that.