Our vervet monkeys in South Africa will often do this but not always. When they steal fruit from our kitchens, they seem to take bites out of each item in their haul, then run off, sometimes with their favorite one.

I'm guessing abundance is one reason, similar to how predators in a glut will eat the liver, and other high value meat before moving on to new prey.

I very much enjoyed watching the vervet monkey shenanigans when I was in South Africa.

I watched a vervet monkey at a camp come down and poke around a pile of apples, seemingly sorting out which were the best ones to take. But the instant somebody came out of the kitchen, the monkey dropped all the apples, grabbed a cupcake, and ran.

Another one came down off the roof to try and take some leftovers at the table I was sitting at. When it saw me, it looked right at me, puffed up its body, bared its fangs, and gave off an evil sounding hiss. I just looked right back at it and said, "Really, buddy? I'm ten times your size and weight. Go ahead, come at me." It obviously couldn't understand English, but it clearly knew I was calling its bluff. It looked crestfallen and left sulkily.

Funny little things.

That’s such a great story. Maybe he earmarked the cupcake immediately as his favourite, and started sorting through the rest in case there was something better.

Guessing: abundance allows them to be more selective, so the one bite is really just tasting them looking for the one that satisfies their palate. Sample enough plums and after a while you get full, or you give up.

From: https://minnetonkaorchards.com/hog-plum/ :

> Because of the large pit and hard-to-separate spines, hog plums are not commonly eaten straight-from-the-branch. Some do enjoy them, however, and report a taste much like a Granny Smith apple- sweet, sour, and a little bit tangy.

> Depending on ripeness, the fruit’s flavor can vary. Its tartness and sweetness are taken advantage of in Guatemala, where the fruit is used to produce a wine known as Vinho de Taperiba.

> Eating these plums can be a challenging experience, but the reward is well worth the effort. The pulp is exceptionally juicy and gives off a somewhat distinct musk. Some report hints of turpentine and an acidic bite.

Otters have similar behaviours around fish: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.animals.otters/c/-0CUtw12haM

Maybe it's like tapas. They want to sample a little bit of everything.

Brown bears in Alaska scoop up the salmon roe and throw out the rest of the fish, toward the end of Summer, when they get all plumpy and satisfied.

If you give a baby human a box of strawberries, they'll only eat the sweeter tips and discard the rest.

Sugar overload? Humans should try it too. Preferably near supermarkets for optimal signaling.

Farming? Fruit contain seeds. Thrown on the ground they will sprout new trees.

Taking the bite might act as some sort of catalyst for germination.