Question

Here's a question from the text aids. how do monkeys use insects as a preventive medicine?

Answer 1

Zoopharmacognosy is the behavior of animals in which they self-medicate by ingesting or topically applying soils, insects, plants etc to prevent the harmful effects of toxins and pathogens.

A few monkeys like capuchins are known to use millipedes to rub their fur and on their skin.

Millipedes have toxic substances called as benzoquinones, which are anti-bacterial agents and also help repelling the insects and mosquitoes.

Tufted capuchins have a behavior called “anting” in which they allow the carpenter ants to crawl over them or rub their body with the carpenter ants.