Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?

UPSC Prelims 2023 Question:

Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?

a) Fishing cat

b) Orangutan

c) Otter

d) Sloth bear

Correct Answer: Option b) Orangutan

Learn more about Orangutans from the given explanation below.

Explanation:

Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammal, spending most of their time in trees. Long, powerful arms and grasping hands and feet allow them to move through the branches. These great apes share 96.4% of our genes and are highly intelligent creatures.

They have been observed as using sticks for fishing out bugs from bark. Researchers have also spotted orangutans using sticks to extract seeds from fruit and scrape insects from a hole in a tree in the wild.

The name orangutan means "man of the forest" in the Malay language. In the lowland forests in which they reside, orangutans live solitary existences. They feast on wild fruits like lychees, mangosteens, and figs, and slurp water from holes in trees. They make nests in trees of vegetation to sleep at night and rest during the day.

About Orangutan

• These are exclusively arboreal which means they live among the trees of tropical rainforests.
• According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there are three species of orangutans: Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli.
• They feast on wild fruits like lychees, and figs, and slurp water from holes in trees.
• Orangutans can live up to 50 years, but they have a relatively low reproductive rate because females only give birth once every 5-10 years. 
• Bornean and Sumatran orangutans differ a little in appearance and behaviour. While both have shaggy reddish fur, Sumatran orangutans have longer facial hair.
• Sumatran orangutans are reported to have closer social bonds than their Bornean cousins.
• Bornean orangutans are more likely to descend from the trees to move around on the ground. 
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Critically Endangered

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

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