# Why do animals collect shiny objects?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 26, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646 "2002-08-26T16:44:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646/1 "2002-08-26T16:44:08Z")

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Leaving out birds of paradise, etc., that use them to decorate their nests in a display for courtship, why do rats, etc., collect small, shiny objects and secret them away in their burrows?

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**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646/2 "2002-08-27T03:09:53Z")

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The same reason that shiny lowriders are popular.

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**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646/3 "2002-08-27T04:40:51Z")

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They look pretty.

Seriously.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646/4 "2002-08-27T04:50:12Z")

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With their particular eyeballs, perhaps that’s all they can see?

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-animals-collect-shiny-objects/125646/5 "2002-08-27T05:03:10Z")

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Cuz the chicks dig it!

Really, if an organism can amass a hoard of really interesting stuff…which a potential mate would appreciate…the organism is rewarded with sex!

Be it a raven with a bit of aluminum foil or a guy with a Ferarri, the impulse is the same.