Scientists once believed that only humans and our closest relatives, chimpanzees, were intelligent enough to use tools. But as our understanding of the natural world becomes more detailed, perhaps we should be less arrogant about our supposedly superior intellect. We are increasingly finding that many species are incredibly clever with sticks, stones, and other implements. Here are the Top 8 Animals That Use Tools – Incredible Skills in the Animal Kingdom. Let’s explore them with KnowAllAnimals!
1. Top 8 Animals That Use Tools – Incredible Skills in the Animal Kingdom
In nature, using tools is not a human-only privilege. Many animals also possess astonishing intelligence and creativity, using objects around them to hunt, defend themselves, or aid their survival. Specifically:
1.1. Puffin
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Charadriiformes
- Family: Alcidae
- Subfamily: Fraterculinae
- Tribe: Fraterculini
- Genus: Fratercula Brisson, 1760
Researchers observed puffins using tools for the first time in 2018, when these seabirds were seen grabbing sticks to scratch themselves. A video filmed in the North Atlantic showed an adorable baby puffin picking up a short stick and moving it toward its chest in a scratching motion. Scientists believe they were trying to relieve an itch or remove ticks.
While other birds, especially crows and parrots, are famous for their clever use of tools, this was not thought to be true for birds like puffins. The research team wrote in their study that “the cognitive abilities of seabirds may have been significantly underestimated.”
1.2. Pig
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Family: Suidae
- Subfamily: Suinae
- Genus: Sus Linnaeus, 1758
Once described as lazy animals that only eat and sleep, pigs are starting to get more respect. Recent discoveries have shown these animals to be sensitive, lovable, and above all, intelligent. Philippine wild pigs used bark and sticks to build nests in a series of experiments conducted in the mid-2010s. And last year, researchers reported that pigs had taught themselves to play a video game to get food.
1.3. Octopus
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Cephalopoda
- Division: Neocoleoidea
- Clade: Vampyropoda
- Superorder: Octopodiformes
- Order: Octopoda Leach, 1818
This soft-bodied, tentacled marine animal is one of the only invertebrates known to be capable of using tools.
“In addition to solving tasks in a lab using tools to get food rewards, wild octopuses have been shown to be able to build small dens and use rocks to create a kind of shield to protect the entrance,” said Jon Ablett, a senior curator of mollusks at the Natural History Museum in London, UK. “Some common blanket octopuses have even been known to use their tentacles as weapons.”
1.4. Ant
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Infraorder: Aculeata
- Superfamily: Formicoidea Latreille, 1809
- Family: Formicidae Latreille, 1809
Some species of ants are known to use tools, often when they want to transport liquids. In a 2020 study, researchers watched fire ants move grains of sand to soak up sugar water from a container. In another experiment, funnel ants were seen using pieces of sponge and paper—not objects they are typically familiar with—to absorb liquid food and carry it back to the nest.
1.5. Sea Otter
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Suborder: Caniformia
- Family: Mustelidae
- Subfamily: Lutrinae
- Genus: Enhydra
- Species: E. lutris
This furry marine mammal is well-known for its use of rocks to smash open the shells of marine invertebrates to get at the meat inside. Specifically, sea otters can use an abalone as a hammer, hitting it against a rock at a rate of three strikes per second to break through its tough shell. The way sea otters use tools can also vary depending on their local environment.
1.6. Crocodile
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Clade: Eusuchia
- Order: Crocodilia Cuvier, 1807
Crocodiles were not previously considered tool-using reptiles. But in 2013, researchers discovered how Indian mugger crocodiles and American alligators both use sticks as lures to catch prey. They lie in wait near areas where waterbirds nest and balance sticks on their snouts. The birds, looking for twigs to build their nests, may get too close and become trapped in one of the animal kingdom’s most powerful jaws. If you ever see a small stick on top of a log in the water, it’s best to just leave it there.
1.7. Gorilla
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Primates
- Suborder: Haplorhini
- Infraorder: Simiiformes
- Family: Hominidae
- Subfamily: Homininae
- Tribe: Gorillini
- Genus: Gorilla I. Geoffroy, 1852
While gorillas use tools less frequently than other animals like chimpanzees, they know to use objects around them as needed and can even create simple tools. In the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, gorillas have been observed using sticks to test the depth of a swamp puddle. In another case, an adult female gorilla crossed a deep pool of water by weaving small bushes together to form a makeshift bridge.
Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society, who led the research team in Congo, said, “We’ve been observing gorillas for 10 years here, and we’ve seen them use tools in two instances.” The first was a female gorilla crossing a pool, using a stick to test the water’s depth and as a walking stick. The second case involved a female gorilla using a log as a support while foraging for food in a swamp. She then placed the log on the swampy ground and used it as a bridge. “The most surprising thing is that we saw them using tools not to get food, but to assist in locomotion.” The current scientific view is that the split between chimpanzees and humans occurred six million years ago.
1.8. Shrike
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Superfamily: Corvoidea
- Family: Laniidae Rafinesque, 1815
Shrikes typically fly low to the ground to find prey, then swoop down and attack their victims with a fatal peck. They also catch songbirds by tirelessly hunting through bushes, hedges, and trees until they capture and kill their prey. They have a habit of impaling their prey on sharp thorns or barbed-wire fences to store food and return to it when prey is scarce. They also use thorns to hold their prey in place while tearing it apart with their sharp, hooked beaks. For this reason, they have earned the nickname “Butcher Bird.”
Shrikes may have a beautiful appearance, but they are incredibly intelligent and somewhat “vicious” birds. They are skilled at using tools and are ruthless in killing their prey, often using sharp branches and thorny wires to stab their victims. Their prey includes worms, lizards, small rodents, and other birds.
2. FAQs
1. What is tool use in animals?
It is the behavior where an animal uses an external object like a stick, stone, or leaf to help with hunting, self-defense, or solving a specific task.
2. Which animal is most famous for its tool-using ability?
Chimpanzees are considered masters of tool use. For example, they use branches to “fish” for termites or use stones to crack open hard nuts.
3. Is tool use limited to primates?
No. In addition to primates, many other animals, including birds, dolphins, and sea otters, are also capable of using tools.
4. Why is this behavior considered a sign of animal intelligence?
Because using tools requires the ability to observe, remember, think, and sometimes be creative to solve a problem.
5. What can humans learn from this animal behavior?
We can learn more about the evolution of intelligence, adaptability, and the connection between humans and other species on Earth.
The ability of animals to use tools is a vivid testament to the fact that intelligence and creativity are not exclusive to humans. From clever chimpanzees and smart sea otters to birds that can “craft” tools, nature holds countless surprises. Exploring these skills not only expands our knowledge but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the wild world, where every species has its own way to survive and thrive.
Thank you for reading the article “Top 8 Animals That Use Tools – Incredible Skills in the Animal Kingdom” by Know All Animals!
