Friday, July 16, 2010

A Monkey Mimicked by a Jungle Cat!

A jungle cat is seen mimicking a monkey!! This article is about a jungle cat who mimics a monkey. Monkeys and jungle cats are two different animals. The jungle cat mimics the monkey in a cool way. The jungle cat mimics monkey calls to be able to draw and attack its prey. In 2005, scientists in the Amazon rain forests, heard a jungle cat imitating the call of a baby tamarin monkey. When monkeys heard the identical call, they didn't know that it was not a monkey calling, but a jungle cat. When monkeys arrived at the call, they would see that it was the jungle cat and would quickly escape, before it had time to attack. When the jungle cat mimics the monkey, parents of the jungle cat can teach their strategy to their young.

This article relates to the biology concept of mimicry. Mimicry is when an animal imitates any type of strategy to either catch, or trick their preys. When the jungle cat uses mimciry like it does, the cat can lure its prey very easily. If this kind of strategy is passed on by the jungle cat to its young, then there maybe a serious decrease in the monkey population. Mimicry can be used as a survival skill for the jungle cats. By using this strategy, jungle cats will be able to increase their population in numbers. Also doing mimicry ensures the jungle cat a type of defensive mechanic for its own predator. This type of strategy being used by jungle cats, can eventually evolve into other great ways to catch their prey.

Both monkeys and jungle cats are fascinating and important animals. That jungle cats are mimicking monkeys is astonishing. This article was put on the magazine because the finding of a jungle cat mimicking a monkey, shows us that animals adapt to the ways of other animals. This article was also put on the magazine to show us the ways animals can use what they have,to get what they want. In this case, monkeys are the jungle cats prey. We should care about this because this type of method that is being used by jungle cats, can lead to a dramatic decrease in the monkey population. People say, that we humans evolved from monkeys/apes. Also monkeys are related to us, humans, so that means, that we should keep in mind that they are the closest species we have in common. Over time, let's make sure that both populations are stable in numbers, which means monkeys are still alive, and jungle cats too.




http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07100712-cats-mimics-monkeys-prey-science/

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