This baboon was caught doing something very human-like
It's not every day that you see a baboon flossing.
But it seems just like us, they like to good clean between their teeth.
However, their floss usually comes in the form of broom bristles and their own hair.
Charlotte Morgan, an animal behaviour student at the University of Exeter is studying the animals.
The research student caught the primates cleaning their teeth at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon.
As odd as their behaviour might be, it isn't the latest rage amongst the baboons.
A female hamadryas baboon was spotted repurposing an old broom's bristles into floss a few years ago.
“Past research at the Zoo found that certain baboons floss using their own hair and bristles from broom heads,” Charlotte said.
Previous studies have concluded that primates floss for hygiene and social purposes.
However, Charlotte was investigating if there a link between personality and dental flossing within in the troop.
Why do #baboons floss? https://t.co/MRki1QSBfX pic.twitter.com/Z46vTsQDH5
— University of Exeter News (@UniofExeterNews) September 3, 2018
Charlotte has had some success from observing the troop and their flossing ritual.
“From the results of my study, there does appear to be a relationship between certain personality traits and dental flossing.
“From what I have observed, they start off by grooming themselves and then they pluck off their own hair and place it between their teeth.
“With the broom heads they usually play around with them and then pluck the bristles off to floss.
“It’s very difficult to suggest, without more complex experimental setups, exactly how the baboons are learning to floss," she explained.
The student said that a social learning element, as well as trial and error learning at an individual level, is probably happening amongst the family.
Her research concluded that some animals from certain harems floss more than others and that those who rate highly on the personality trait ‘imitation’ are more likely to floss.
This suggests that these individual baboons picked up the habit by observing and learning from other members of their troop who were flossing
Dr Amy Plowman, Director of Conservation and Education at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, said:
“Animals like dogs and even chimps can be taught to do things, which is very clever but it’s much more interesting scientifically if animals spontaneously do something with a tool without being taught, which would be the case with the baboons.”
Baboons aren't the only primates that enjoy some dental hygiene.
Macaques in Thailand are known to use strands of human hair to floss.