At a wildlife park in Germany, a young ring-tailed lemur did something bold: It launched itself at an adult ruffed lemur and started gently slapping and grabbing her. Rather than putting an end to these antics, the bigger, stronger ruffed lemur just rolled onto her back, flashed a relaxed open-mouth expression, and let the little one tackle her.
The playful wrestling match that ensued between these two different species caught researchers’ attention. In a report published in February in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, they document four instances of this “rare” and “potentially risky behavior,” which scientists refer to as “interspecies play.”
Why animals play
Animals that live in groups love to play. Scientists continue to debate its precise purpose, but most agree it serves a crucial role in how young animals forge social bonds, learn from one another, and develop physical coordination.
It comes as little surprise, then, that many group-living animals engage in social play—most commonly in the form of playfighting. What baffles researchers, however, are the cases in which that play crosses species lines.
A risky language barrier
Social play usually happens within the same species, where animals share the same “language” and understand when play becomes too rough. Interspecies play is risky because misreading cues can easily escalate into aggression.
“It would be a critical mistake to keep antagonizing a play-fighting partner when they are no longer interested—an event likely leading to real aggression and the risk of physical or social harm,” says Dr. Heather J.B. Brooks, an animal behavior specialist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who reviewed the lemur report.
“These risks are common when playing with the same species, but they are likely even more problematic when we start to examine interspecies play.”
A mismatch in size or physical ability adds to the risk. If one animal has sharp teeth, claws, or horns, and the other doesn’t, there’s a greater risk of play ending badly.
So why then—with all these apparent risks—does interspecies play happen at all?
Familiarity breeds play
Animals in human care live in much closer proximity than they would in the wild.
“Close proximity allows animals to become more comfortable with one another and likely also more confident in the ability to correctly read the other individual’s play signals,” says Brooks.
The interaction between the two lemur species is a clear example. Ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs don’t live together in the wild. But when they do, at a wildlife park, they can develop enough mutual understanding to play together.
The same dynamic plays out in households where multiple kinds of pets live in the same space, says Brooks. Many cats and dogs have become playmates when raised together, and stranger pairings exist too—such as this dog and bearded dragon.
Captivity also removes the pressures that keep wild animals busy, such as looking for food or avoiding predators.
“Animals in captivity have many of their needs taken care of, so they may find themselves with excess energy that can be released with play,” says Brooks.
Young animals are more likely to seek strange playmates
In the wild, young animals tend to be more playful than their adult counterparts, Brooks notes, “because their needs are met by parental care.” So while mom rests, baby is looking for someone to play with—even if that someone is from a different species.
For example, at Gombe Stream National Park, Jane Goodall noted a recurring relationship between a young chimpanzee named Ferdinand and a young olive baboon. While these two animals have more in common than other pairs, such as a dog and a bearded dragon, “chimpanzees are predators of olive baboons in adulthood, so there is still an added layer of danger,” Brooks notes.
“Young animals that do not have access to similarly aged individuals from their own species may be more inclined to play interspecifically,” Brooks says.
Related 'Ask Us Anything' Stories
Sometimes young animals are less hesitant to approach an adult of a different species compared to an adult of their own species for social play, research shows. It sounds odd, but it’s actually a clever move. When an animal’s own social group is too competitive or aggressive, a cross-species partner is a more appealing option. There can be less drama.
The lemur report illustrates this well: The young ring-tailed lemurs initiated play with the adult ruffed lemurs, even when other ring-tailed lemurs were present.
Sizing up the enemy, or just thrill-seeking?
Many instances of interspecies play involve animals that are normally predator and prey. Play between predators and prey may serve a practical purpose—to help each animal gauge what the other is capable of.
“Play between predators and prey may serve to help the individuals learn the limits of their counterpart for hunting or evading predation later in life,” explains Brooks.
But Brooks thinks there might be an even simpler explanation for interspecies play: It’s a thrill.
“Many animals, humans included, seem to enjoy testing their physical limits in ways that could result in injuries or worse,” Brooks says.
“For humans, we know these challenges often give us an adrenaline rush that makes the game exciting. It is likely the same in animals.” Maybe it’s just more fun to play with a baboon than yet another chimp.
In Ask Us Anything, Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.
The post Why some cats love dogs—despite the risk appeared first on Popular Science.
from Popular Science https://ift.tt/gG8aIjF
0 Comments