tool-using behavior
the ability of nonhuman animals to use objects as tools. For example, a finch may use a cactus spine to probe for insects, and an antlion may hurl grains of sand at prey to make them fall into a pit. Chimpanzees frequently use sticks to push into termite mounds, use leaves as sponges for drinking or cleaning themselves, and use stones of different sizes as hammers and anvils to break open nuts. Distinctive patterns of tool use are found in different populations of chimpanzees across Africa, suggesting “cultural traditions” of tool-using behavior. Chimpanzees, orangutans, and capuchin monkeys in captivity also demonstrate the ability to use novel objects as tools to reach otherwise inaccessible food. This behavior requires a capacity to generalize relationships between the presence of an object in the environment and its usefulness in extending the animal’s reach.