Examples of a monkey species in Indonesia may use stones as “sex toys” for pleasure.As suggested by a study published in the scientific journal ‘Ethology’.
The study, which evaluated dozens of animals belonging to the long-tailed macaque population ranging from 700 to 1000 from the island of Bali, monkeys deliberately rub stones on their genitals, apparently to “get sexually motivated.”.
“From our results, we can say that. These actions are not accidental.These monkeys don’t get caught on their genitals when playing with stones,” study coordinator Camilla Cenni, a doctoral student at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, told Efe in an email to Efe.
yes ok This is not the first report of object masturbation observed in wild animals.The research provides new evidence that, at least in some cases, animals use tools purely for pleasure.
The study, published this month, was based on observations of a free-range long-tailed macaque population living around the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud during three different periods between 2016 and 2019. they regularly take food from humans.
To find the possibility of using “sex toys”, the researchers analyzed and used 173 monkeys’ acts of manipulation with their stones. “behavioral” and “physiological” indicatorsSuch as penile erection or fertile period signals to determine the sexual motivation of their actions.
Teenagers touch each other more than adults
In this regard, they found that some animals bumped into each other and rubbed their genitals with stones “due to the pleasurable response derived from these actions,” Cenni said.
They also observed that: teenage boys spent ‘significantly’ more time touching and rubbing their private parts than adult menespecially when they experience situations of high sexual tension, such as when they or another macaque request a mate or show signs of arousal.
“We’ve seen young men engage in this behavior ( assisted masturbation) significantly more than mature men,” Cenni elaborated, adding that the reasons for this are still unclear.
“An alternative explanation,” he added, may be that mature men lead “busier lives,” maintaining dominant positions and gaining access to females. young monkeys may have ‘more free time’however, additional research is needed to “appropriately” confirm this.
The study found that the behavior tends to precede physical manifestations of sexual arousal in men and lasts longer once an erection occurs, patterns not applicable to other types of rock manipulation. fun and intentional component from those actions.
“Our research demonstrates that instrumental behaviors of questionable adaptive value can be sustained over evolutionary time. pleasurable or self-rewarding mechanismssuch as recreational and sexual activities,” concludes the article.
Reference report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eth.13324