Abstract
Object play refers to the seemingly non-functional manipulation of inanimate items when in a relaxed state. In juveniles, object play may help develop skills to aid survival. However, why adults show object play remains poorly understood. We studied potential drivers and functions of the well-known object play behaviour of rock juggling in Asian small-clawed (Aonyx cinereus) and smooth-coated (Lutrogale perspicillata) otters. These are closely related species, but Asian small-clawed otters perform extractive foraging movements to exploit crabs and shellfish while smooth-coated otters forage on fish. We thus predicted that frequent rock jugglers might be better at solving extractive foraging puzzles in the first species, but not the latter. We also assessed whether species, age, sex and hunger correlated with rock juggling frequency. We found that juvenile and senior otters juggled more than adults. However, rock juggling frequency did not differ between species or sexes. Otters juggled more when ‘hungry’, but frequent jugglers did not solve food puzzles faster. Our results suggest that rock juggling may be a misdirected behaviour when hungry and may facilitate juveniles' motor development, but it appears unrelated to foraging skills. We suggest future studies to reveal the ontogeny, evolution and welfare implications of this object play behaviour.
Highlights
Until recently, it has been difficult to formally define play behaviour [1]
The behaviour is most obvious when performed in a reclined position but may be performed in other stances such as standing upright. As there is such little research on this behaviour, there are no formal hypotheses as to the drivers or functions of rock juggling behaviour, other than it being observed more often in hungry than in satiated otters in captivity [29]. To address this gap in our understanding, we studied two otter species commonly found in zoos and wildlife centres and reported to show rock juggling behaviour: Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) [30] and smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) [28]
In concurrence with previous studies on the effect of age on object play behaviour [37,49], we found that rock juggling frequency decreased with increasing age in ‘young’ Asian small-clawed otters
Summary
It has been difficult to formally define play behaviour [1]. It was identified through interpreting animals’ behaviours as indicative of having ‘fun’. This led to play being viewed through a highly anthropocentric lens [2]. Five criteria have been identified to establish an objective and widely accepted definition [3]: ‘repeated, seemingly non-functional behaviour differing from more adaptive versions structurally, contextually or developmentally, and initiated when the animal is in a relaxed, unstimulating or low-stress setting’ [4, p.
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