Dr. Chris J. Law

They put the rock on their belly, use it as an anvil and break things, eat the things.

And they keep doing that.

And basically when they're done with the rock, they just do a little turn.

The rock falls down and then they go on with their lives.

So they don't really have that favorite rock.

I mean, they might reuse the rock if it's the only rock that's available because they are just right there and just decided to go back down and get more food.

And that rock happens to be there.

So they might pick it up again to use it.

But they're definitely not traveling around with it.

Yeah.

I mean, no, we call it, we still call it as a tool use because it is still, you know, you're still putting an object onto your, you know, stomach and then actually using it as a, as a tool essentially to break something open.

And I'll say that otters can also use other objects as tools.

So sometimes they'll use another shell to break open in their shell.

They'll use like bottles.

They'll even use like docks and people's boats to break things open.

So they'll use anything.

I don't know how common it is, but it definitely is to a point where there's multiple observations of them doing that.

So the way males' territories work is that the dominant males have territories that exclude other males from their territories, right?

And in that kind of competition, there's always going to be losers, and they're excluded from these territories.

So if they can't have their own territory to mate with females, they just get, I guess, frustrated and find that a little baby seal to do it's, you know, to basically it, I guess.