Tummy rumbles? Otters juggle pebbles when hungry, study finds

Asian otters' playfulness with rocks a mystery but Exeter study links juggling to hunger

Whether tossing pebbles between their paws or rolling stones on their chest and even into their mouth, otters are experts at rock juggling. Now researchers say the behaviour largely appears to be linked to a rumbling tummy.

Many species of otters are known to toss pebbles around, often while lying on their backs, in what appears to be an example of animals playing with inanimate objects. Mari-Lisa Allison, of the University of Exeter, said: [I have seen] an otter at the fence putting a pebble through the mesh and then catching it underneath and rolling it round, round the fence".