It’s been a very quiet day here at the sanctuary. Lots of napping and grooming, with the occasional break to go outside and get snow.
Negra is a pro at napping. She tried to groom with Missy for a while but it apparently wasn’t exciting enough to keep her awake, and she started yawning.
I’m sure you’ve experienced contagious yawning before. Chimpanzees experience the same thing. In fact, the humans and chimps at CSNW “catch” yawns from each other all the time. I have been yawning nonstop for the last ten minutes as I’ve been working on this blog post.
The jury is still out on the function of yawning, but some scientists believe that yawning is contagious in some animals because it facilitates the synchronization of activities, particularly the transition between activity to rest. One study showed that chimpanzees “catch” yawns more often from males than from females. Why would this be the case? According to the authors, we should expect the group to synchronize with male behavior more than females because males are the dominant sex.
In any case, I hope you all feel better now that you’ve had a good yawn.
Well, I wasn’t yawning when I started reading this post but I certainly am now lol!
Yep, thanks for that J.B. Definitely just yawned.
J.B.< When the chimps decide to take a nap, do they always make a nest? Since Negra loves her beauty sleep,,does she keep a nest on hand? or do they all keep their own nests in their own cozy spots .. and do they each have their OWN turf or sleeping area at night, How long do they sleep for at night, , is it close to 8hrs like us,?
Can the chimps see all the cars ,trucks, coming in to CSNW property and can they see the entrance areas, and who is coming and going,?
I gather they keep a close eye on the goings on with the humans, especially while they cook or more so when food deliveries, etc,arrive,
The chimps who make nests tend to make nests anytime they sleep, even if it is during the day. Sometimes the day nests are smaller. The location of the nest may change throughout the day. Jamie, for example, likes to sleep on the platform in the greenhouse during the day, but she will always make her night nest in the playroom. Some chimps return to the same nest many times each day, and others prefer to make new nests each time. Burrito and Foxie still don’t regularly build nests.
Chimpanzees typically bed down for about 12 hours a night.
There is one window in the playroom that faces the driveway, and two human doors with windows that the chimps can see out of. In the summer, the chimps can see the driveway from the greenhouse and from Young’s Hill. They always know who is coming and going and they’re very tuned in to what’s going on in the human areas.
JB — And don’t forget the window that looks into the kitchen, so the 7 can keep tabs on meal prep. 😉
Thank you so much JB for such a detailed answer.. I never tire hearing all about the chimps…
Thank You for answering my questions,, most interesting,
Now that’s what I call yawning. I am now yawning too. Thanks for the information.