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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Orangutan Females Steal Food to Test Potential Mates


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Orangutan females (above, an orangutan eats a durian fruit in Singapore) test potential mates by snatching food from males to see how they'll react, according to a March 2009 study.

When males reacted violently or took the food back, the females screamed and tended to end the interactions much sooner than when the male tolerated the stealing.

Photograph by Steve Raymer