Social grooming is a behaviour in which animals (social
animals) keep one another’s body hygienic. It is the cleaning of the body of an
animal by a partner. Many animals clean
or maintain each other’s body and appearance in the form of stroking,
scratching, and massaging. This activity often serves to remove foreign
material from the body to promote the mutual success of these socially active
animals. Allogrooming a related
term to social grooming is a social grooming involving member of the
same species.
Grooming is a major
social activity and a means by which animals that live in close proximity may bond
and reinforce social structures, family links, or build relationships. It is
also used as a means of conflict resolution and reconciliation in some species.
In the animal kingdom,
there a large numbers of socially grooming animals which include primates,
insects, birds, and bats. It is believed that the driving force behind mammal
social grooming is rooted in adaptation to consolatory behaviour as well as functional
purposes in the exchange of resources such as food, sex, and mutual hygiene.
Bonnet macaque allogrooming while infant suck
Monkey grooming
Health
Benefit of Social Grooming
Social grooming behaviour
has shown some health benefits in different animal species.
- Group member connection has the ability to
reduce the potentially harmful effects of stressors.
- In macaques, social grooming has been
proven to reduce heart rate.
- iii.Grooming has also been shown to play an important
role in reducing tick (ectoparasites that act as vectors for the spreading of disease
and infection) load in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).
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