Jakarta –
Scientists in India are confused by crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) which exhibit strange behavior. Instead of eating him, the crocodile rescued the dog in the river.
“[Buaya] “led the dog away from a location that was vulnerable to attack by a group of wild dogs waiting on the river bank,” wrote the researchers quoted from Livescience. “The crocodiles actually touched the dog with their snouts and encouraged it to move further so it could climb safely up the the river bank and finally ran away.”
The researchers interpreted this action as an act of empathy, indicating that the crocodile may have been concerned about the dog’s safety. While it is interesting that they do not prey on their prey there is little evidence that crocodiles are capable of empathy towards other species.
But the strange actions of crocodiles are not limited to that. A new study published August 26 in the Journal of Threatened Taxa shows that mugger crocodiles inhabiting the Savitri River in Maharashtra, India have more advanced cognitive abilities than scientists currently believe.
“Crocodiles do have a sophisticated set of behaviors,” said Duncan Leitch, a biologist specializing in reptile neurophysiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the research. “But some of these conclusions take the human definition of intelligence and try to find it in crocodiles.”
The new study records several instances where groups of crocodiles swam in circles around schools of fish, creating vortexes. Their movements are thought to paralyze the fish, and crocodiles have been seen eating them while performing this behavior. Similar behavior has previously been observed in other crocodiles.
Crocodile saves dog Photo: Utkarsha Chavan/Chavan & Borkar 2023)
Newspapers in India recently reported pirate crocodiles using sticks to lure swimming birds such as the cow egret (Bubulcus ibis). A 2013 paper also notes a series of anecdotal observations of crocodiles using sticks to lure swimming birds.
“Crocodiles’ sensory systems are very sophisticated. They have an excellent sense of sight. Their sense of touch is among the best in the animal kingdom,” said Leitch. “They’re really primed to pick up signals from their environment. Whether this is intelligence like we see when crows use tools – it’s hard to say.”
The authors also say that marauding crocodiles appear to be attracted to bouquets of marigolds (Tagetes erecta) dropped into rivers during funeral ceremonies. The researchers think crocodiles may be attracted by the color of the flowers and their antibacterial properties.
But surprisingly, says Leitch, the strange behavior of crocodiles is not widely accepted among crocodile researchers. This is why further research is needed, otherwise it will only be considered anecdotal.
Watch the video “Crocodile sightings suspected of preying on men in the Cilemer Pandeglang River”
(afr/afr)
2023-09-21 02:45:10
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