I was going wax poetic about chimpanzee toes, but I think the video does it for me.
feet
Two Stories
Story One (in one sentence): These are the feet of an explorer named Burrito.
Story Two: Rayne was grooming Mave on the catwalk of the Oakwood Greenhouse, with Dora lying next to Mave. Honey B spotted them from the Riverview Greenhouse and headed all the way over to join them.
Then she enticed Dora to groom her.
We used to think of Honey B as a loner.
This little moment made me happy.
The end.
Chimp feet are pretty handy
Recently, Edie asked: I am amazed when I see pictures of their feet-they seem so versatile! Do they ever use their feet like hands?
Chimpanzee feet are pretty amazing indeed. Unlike our own, they are prehensile, meaning they have the ability to grasp. This is because their big toes are opposable, like our thumbs.
This is presumably an adaptation to aid in climbing, like when scaling tree trunks:
Or when clinging to vines and small branches:
They can also aid in maintaining balance when perched precariously above the ground:
But they can also function like an extra set of hands when necessary. Gathering tomatoes? With prehensile feet you can haul twice as many.
Difficult Kong puzzle? Why not let your feet do some of the work and free up both hands?
Wondering where to put your doll when you are eating lunch suspended from the caging? You can trust that Dora the Explorer will remain safely in the grip of your opposable toe.
The dexterity of chimpanzee feet also makes them great for tickling.
I hope all chimpanzees stop once and a while to appreciate having such useful feet.
Browsing
Jamie’s interest in architectural and western-themed magazines continues. You can get a little peak into her mind by observing which pages she lingers on…
Chimpanzee Feet
Because a few people commented that they liked the photo of Annie’s hand posted on the blog a couple of weeks ago, I thought I’d post some chimpanzee feet photos I took recently. Like many of you, I really love chimp feet, in part because of their opposable big toe (obviously).
Missy has very petite feet. I often ask to see her feet and she sticks her toes through the caging to tickle my hand:
Annie frequently holds her feet together when she’s relaxing:
Foxie sometimes sits with her legs wide apart and her feet pointed in. Of course she has a troll nearbyf. Her right foot looks like it’s missing the small toe, but it’s just tucked underneath her foot.
Here’s one of Annie’s hand (she has long, slender fingers), and Jamie’s sturdy feet.
Hands and Feet, Negra nesting
I envy chimps for their ability to clasp their feet together when they are resting.
Negra built a beautiful nest this morning from a brand new bale of straw. After settling in, she looked pretty content.
