Is there any difference in meaning/usage/etc between the words 'explorative' and 'exploratory'?

The question:

I am curious about the relation between the words ‘explorative’ and ‘exploratory’. Are those exact synonyms, or is there a difference in their meaning, their usage, their geographic occurrence, etc?

Own attempt:

The way Longman DCE (5th ed) defines ‘exploratory’ suggests to me that it can only be used to describe actions:

adj done in order to find out more about something: He’s going to have an exploratory surgery on his knee.

(Longman DCE does not contain ‘explorative’.) However, the Macquarie Dictionary (7th ed) defines ‘exploratory’ as:

adj. 1. relating to or concerned with exploration. 2. inclined to make explorations. Also, explorative.

The first meaning in Macquarie is similar to the one in Longman, but does not appear to be restricted to describe actions. The second meaning in Macquarie seems useful to describe living beings (or possibly animate objects). I am not sure that my interpretation is correct here. I also am not sure whether the crucial ‘Also, explorative.’ at the end concerns both meanings or just the second one.