Jungle Cat Mimics Monkey to Lure Prey — A First

nationalgeographic ^ | July 13, 2010 | Christine Dell'Amore

[JoeProBono]

Despite "poor imitation," cat shows surprising "psychological cunning."

For a plucky little forest cat, the key to survival might just be "monkey see, monkey do."

The margay (picture), or tree ocelot, mimics monkey calls to draw in prey, the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced Thursday.

Scientists in the Amazon rain forest's Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, near Manaus, Brazil, heard a margay imitating the call of a baby pied tamarin monkey in 2005.

It was the first—and so far, only—scientifically documented case of a cat imitating a prey species in the Americas, team member Fabio Rohe, a researcher for the New York-based nonprofit WCS, said in an email. Rohe added that he's unaware of any other predators in the world using vocal mimicry as a hunting tool.

[JoeProBono]

[fullchroma]

You’d think they could have gotten some audio/video like this woman did of her cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV71mpbvl-g

[GQuagmire]

sneaky kitty ping

[a fool in paradise]

"I wanna be like you..."

[a fool in paradise]

Can it mimic a Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey?

[JoeProBono]

[allmendream]

Magpies (a corvid like a crow or raven) are infamous mimics. They used to, when our dog was fed, ‘bark’ at her to get her off her food bowl. They worked as a team. One would “bark” at her, and the other would rob her of some food.

Cool that this cat has figured out how to get its prey to come to it! Clever kitty!

[JoeProBono]

[Joe 6-pack]

[martin_fierro]

STEVE BUSCEMI CAT

DOESN'T WANT TO BE "MR. PINK"

[solosmoke]

What an awesome story, and wonderful pictures! When I was a kid, I had a cat and a parakeet. After the cat died, we started hearing meowing that sounded like his, which of course was unsettling. The bird, one that is not known to mimic sounds like other birds can, was meowing just like old Chester. Sweet and creepy at the same time.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[a fool in paradise]

I know someone who taught the pet bird to say “here kitty kitty kitty”. The cat would come running and then look around but not see anyone. And the bird would clam up.

[JoeProBono]

[Jack Hydrazine]

Dadgummit! I thought this thread was about cougars!

[FrdmLvr]

Aww, it said Tiggy passed away on June 23. Sad...my doggie is getting up there and it will be heart breaking when his time comes...

[Slings and Arrows]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

cat and monky real love