The rare images of the nose-picking monkey were taken on the African island of Madagascar. You can see how a very long finger disappears into the nose of the so-called lemus – a kind of prosimian. Scientists were completely stunned by the sequel: The beast licked up the ‘harvest’. After seeing the images, scientists say they have a better idea of how deep the finger went into the nose and can therefore better indicate what the possible function of the nose picking is.
The images could provide a more complete picture of why humans – along with eleven other ‘species’ – are ‘guilty’ of nose picking. “There is still little scientific evidence why people, among others, pick their noses,” said researcher Anne Claire Fabre in the British scientific journal Journal of Zoology. “We really think this part of the field is underexposed because it’s seen as bad practice.”
Read more below the video
Little is known about the reason why people pick their noses, according to the BBC. Some scientists say it plays a role in the spread of bacteria to help maintain immunity. Others argue that research has shown that nose pickers get fewer cavities in their teeth and that snouts contain a lot of healthy protein.
“Besides finding it gross, nose picking can actually provide us with some real health benefits. That’s something we really need to investigate further. These images have taken us one step further,” says Fabre.