According to a recent study, their intelligence might be sharper than humans previously supposed. 根据最近的一项研究,他们的智力可能比人类以前想象的要敏锐。 American alligators and their cousin Indian marsh crocodiles have apparently begun balancing twigs on their snouts to lure wading birds, which try to grab the twigs for nests. A study published in the journal Ethology, Ecology and Evolution said alligators are one of the few animals using the baiting trick to catch prey. 美洲短吻鳄和它们的表亲印度沼泽鳄鱼显然已经开始平衡鼻子上的树枝,以引诱涉水鸟类,这些鸟类试图抓住树枝筑巢。发表在《动物行为学、生态学和进化论》杂志上的一项研究称,短吻鳄是少数使用诱饵技巧捕捉猎物的动物之一。 "For people working with alligators, it comes as little surprise because we already know how smart they can be, but for the general public it is apparently a bit unexpected," said Vladimir Dinets, a University of Tennessee psychology researcher and the study's lead author. “对于与鳄鱼打交道的人来说,这并不令人惊讶,因为我们已经知道它们有多聪明,但对于公众来说,这显然有点出乎意料,”田纳西大学心理学研究员、该研究的主要作者弗拉基米尔·迪内茨说。 The alligators in Louisiana documented for the study apparently recognized the short window they had to deceive the birds, which only arrive during a short nesting season. 为这项研究记录的路易斯安那州的短吻鳄显然意识到他们必须欺骗鸟类的短暂窗口,这些鸟类只在短暂的筑巢季节到达。 Maffo said he hadn't heard of the twig trick but knows alligators will wait under trees to try to eat birds. 马福说,他没有听说过树枝的把戏,但知道鳄鱼会在树下等着吃鸟。 Harvey Dunn, owner of Southern Critter Removal in Bluffton, said alligators that live in swamps are "savvier" than their brethren in suburban ponds and need to use deception to lure their prey. Dunn said he once came across an alligator that had covered itself in mud in a dry area of a swamp bed to hide itself. 布拉夫顿南方小动物清除组织的所有者哈维·邓恩(Harvey Dunn)表示,生活在沼泽中的鳄鱼比郊区池塘中的兄弟“更精明”,需要使用欺骗手段来引诱猎物。邓恩说,他曾经遇到过一条鳄鱼,它在沼泽床的干燥区域用泥土覆盖自己以隐藏自己。






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