Animal Intelligence - 5 most intelligent species

Know all about animals’ intelligence.

“Intelligence”, what do you infer from this word? It is a versatile word that could mean several things in several contexts. Intelligence could cover – comprehension of languages, self-recognition, cooperation, altruism, problem-solving and mathematical skills. But what if I twist the question and ask you about – “Animal Intelligence “? While recognizing intelligence in some animals might be easy (like chimpanzees and orangutans), there are a variety of species that are far smarter than we can fathom.
So, today giving an ode to them, we will look at 5 such species! – 

1. Octopus: Are master escape artists! 

The octopus is the only invertebrate animal to make our list of the world’s most intelligent animals. As the only member of its class listed here, you may be asking just how smart is an octopus? Octopus have been seen to adopt several steps to escape from captivity. They even throw rocks at glass and have been able to open jars with screw-on lids.

These 8-armed animals are deceptively clever. In the wild, they disguise themselves as rocks to sneak around. While hiding as rocks, octopi’s inch by very slowly, matching the speed of the water to create the illusion that they’re standing still. This allows them to move around undetected in the presence of predators.

Octopuses can also figure out mazes and problem-solving experiments, making use of both long-term and short-term memory. In their habitat, this helps them find their way back to their dens even after long journeys. In fact, solving mazes has proven to sharpen the minds of animals. Still thinking why puzzles and riddles are important for us? 

2. Elephants: Don’t need Facebook! 

Elephants have an exceedingly long memory, but they are also one of the smartest animals. These animals have a complicated social structure and have been witnessed participating in funeral rituals for departed members of their family as well as mourning their loss. Elephants also use tools and medicate themselves; they will eat the leaves of certain plants to cure illness and even induce labor!

They are also one of the very few animals that perform altruistic acts. Elephants will sacrifice themselves if they believe that it will allow the rest of the herd or their children to escape to safety. They are also one of the oldest animals in the world. Have you ever wondered what is the world’s oldest riddle? 

3. Pigs: Use Mirrors! 

Pigs just barely edged out dogs for our list of the 10 in animal intelligence. While dogs have intelligence comparable to a toddler, pigs operate at a much higher IQ level. They can understand the concept of reflection at only six weeks old; that is something that takes human children several months to comprehend.

Pigs also have approximately 20 different sounds that they use to communicate, and mother pigs sing to their children while they are feeding. Pigs respond to emotion and even show empathy when appropriate, which is an extremely rare trait in the animal kingdom.

4. Crows: Know Physics! 

Crows are extremely intelligent birds and have acted as messengers for several centuries. Ever thought why these birds were trusted with the most valuable messages and secrets of the time? It is because of their combined ability to use complicated group tactics when in combat with other animals as well as learning speech and having impressive memory. Crows are also known to alter migrating patterns by calculating risks and avoid destinations of danger. 

With this, crows also possess – the ability to recognize faces, use tools and find hard-to-get food sources! 

5. Rats: Solve Puzzles! 

We often find rats gross and might think that their small, tiny brains would make them comparatively – unsmart. But in contrast- even though rats have small and underdeveloped brains their minds are sharp and function like humans. They easily figure out mazes, puzzles, memorize routes and complex tasks. Rats are also social animals. When left alone, they begin to exhibit signs of depression and loneliness. These psychological and social differences are why rats are one of the most intelligent animals. These were some very interesting facts about Rats, what could be some interesting facts about puzzles?