'Pygmy Raccoons' Capable of Little Inventions

Biologist Nessie O’Neil’s discovery of pygmy raccoons teaching each other how to make and play with a ball would likely be a top choice for cutest moment observed in the wild. Yet the adorable scene for one of the world’s most endangered species has much broader lessons, experts say. 

Except for their tiny size, pygmy raccoons are nearly identical to the “trash pandas” that raid dumpsters in the US. Found only on the Caribbean island of Cozumel, there may be fewer than 200 adult members left. That shrinking population is threatened by humans. O’Neil has documented that in her research, and it also led to her big idea.  

During one field observation, O’Neil noticed one young female pygmy raccoon swiping a paper receipt from a bin. Instead of tossing it, she dipped the paper in water, then wadded it up. The raccoon then coated it in sand and began to play with her new ball. She even showed her sister and mother the “toy.”  

At first, O’Neil didn’t think much of it. “In my mind, it wasn’t some big major discovery,” O’Neil told Scientific American. “It was, ‘Look how cute! She’s making a ball!’” Yet when O’Neil showed footage of the scene to colleagues, they pointed out how rare it is for animals to make tools, let alone use them for play.

Sadly, the ball-making raccoon died soon after, likely due to malnutrition and exposure to toxins from a nearby resort hotel. But her death led to another breakthrough discovery. Her invention lived on! Her sister made a ball a few days later. That suggests one raccoon had taught another how to create an object. That’s a sign of what biologists call “material culture.” It's the passing-on of knowledge about the use of tools. Only a few species are known to possess material culture. Humans, dolphins, chimpanzees, and pigs are among them.

Now, it seems, so are raccoons.  

Reflect: Describe a time you learned something just by watching someone else do it first.

Photo of pygmy raccoons from Wikimedia Commons courtesy of Carolina Can.