UPSC Prelims 2023 · Question 29 of 97

UPSC Prelims 2023 question on Orangutan Tool Use

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?

  1. Fishing cat
  2. Orangutan
  3. Otter
  4. Sloth bear
Show answer

Answer: B. Orangutan

In animal tool use, the physical aspects of mediation are easy to see: a chimpanzee might use its hand to strike a surface with some force; if the chimpanzee strikes with a stone in its hand, the force is amplified. An orangutan might reach into a hole with its finger; a stick held in its hand will reach farther or into narrower openings — making it useful for scraping insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood.

Hence option (b) — Orangutan — is the correct answer.

More questions on Species

All 38 questions on Species →

← Full 2023 question paper · All Environment and Ecology questions