Did you know that your pet has a dominant hand? According to tests at the Institute for the Study of Animal Problems in Washington, DC, dogs and cats were shown to favor one paw over the other. I guess that’s just another way pets resemble their owners. Now, scientists in the UK are observing octopuses in captivity to see if they have a dominant arm too.
If octopuses are found to have a dominant arm, scientists are hoping that by giving octopuses objects to pick up with that arm, they will be able to reduce the stress of octopuses in captivity.
Claire Little, a marine life expert at the Sea Life Center in the UK explains:
We hope the study will help the overall well-being of octopuses. They are very susceptible to stress so if they do have a favorite side to be fed on, it could reduce risk to them.
In a month-long observational project, scientists will record which arm octopuses use to pick up objects.
The cool part is that visitors to the center will also get to participate in the study; by marking on a chart which arm the octopuses used to pick up the objects, including Rubik’s cubes, balls and Lego’s, that will be dropped into the tanks. According to The Mail Online, visitors will be asked to note:
Which arm was closest to the object when it landed and which arm picked it up.
If the octopus uses several arms to pick up the object, then visitors will be asked to note which arms touched the object and in what order.
During feeding times, staff will be asked to make the same observations.
Little says that the study will also help clarify the overall mystery of handiness in the Animal Kingdom.
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