The animal kingdom is truly fascinating.
Animals are truly remarkable creatures.
But have you ever asked yourself, what are thesmartest animals in the world?
Weve got the answer for you right here.
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Did you know there are more than 8.7 million animal species in the world!
Thats an astonishing number.
So what are the smartest animals on this planet?
Thats a good question and one we are going to answer.
From the land to the sea, and even in the air, animals are all around us.
Some of the first words we try and teach our children are animal names.
Five Smartest Animals Animals on Land
The land is home to a great many animal species.
From the tiniest insects to the most massive mammals.
But have you ever asked yourself what are the most intelligent animals?
Now, onwards with our list of the smartest animals to ever walk the earth.
Rats
To most people, rats are disgusting, dirty creatures.
They spread disease bubonic blague, anybody?
and are generally nasty animals, right?
Well, not quite.
Rats are actuallyvery intelligent creatures.
They are cunning and devious and have proven more beneficial to humanity than many other species.
Rats have also helpeddetect TB in human patients and sniff out landminesin booby-trapped fields.
That is why the common rat beat out so many other species for a place on the list.
Did you know rats are one of the few animals to have colonized every country!
Both wild and domestic pigs have shown the uncanny ability toadapt to their surroundingsin order to survive.
Pigs can follow human commands and learn different instructions.
Pigs are just as smart as human children and are considered more intelligent than all species of dog.
Elephants
An elephant never forgets.
While that statement isnt likely to be completely accurate, it has some validity.
Elephants have an incredible memory and canremember up to thirty different fellow pachyderms.
Amazingly, they do this through thescent of their urine.
Anelephant brain weighs close to 5kgand has three times the number of neurons as a human brain.
If that isnt enough, elephants can use tools and even recognize body language in humans.
Everybody knows that orangutans are one of themost intelligent animals, but just how smart are they?
In fact, they are better at both than most human toddlers.
Orangutans have developedhighly advanced cognitive skills,possibly due to their living arrangements.
They live in widely scattered communities and needed to develop these skills to survive.
Did you know that there have been examples of orangutanslearning sign languageto communicate!
Chimpanzees
If there is one animal capable of living alongside humans, it would be chimpanzees.
Undoubtedly the smartest animal, their propensity for learning stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Chimpanzees are also capable of communicating through sign language.
Five Most Intelligent Animals in the Ocean
Intelligence abounds in the rivers and oceans of the world.
From the smallest plankton to thelargest sharks, the ocean is a treasure trove of life.
We have a deep-rooted and long-lasting association with the sea and its many mysteries.
In fact, there is so much we are yet to even learn about the ocean.
Vast expanses are still to be explored, with their secrets yet to be unlocked.
It might very well be a different form than the human brain can comprehend.
However, intellect recognizes itself even when it doesnt fully understand what it sees.
Thesharkshave also been shown to use rudimentary forms of communication with one another when swimming in groups.
Great white sharks are possibly the ultimate animal, equal parts intelligent andterrifying.
Manta Ray
You might be wondering why the manta ray is included in this list.
Well, recent research has given scientists a whole new insight into the intellectual abilities of these fish.
Studies indicate they can study and understand communication, learning, and even problem-solving.
A very social animal, they are playful and curious by nature.
Should they come across humans in the wild, they will often approach them and deliberately seek out interaction.
Did you know that a manta ray is able to recognize its own reflection?
Killer Whale
Orcas lets drop the killer moniker for a bit are wonderfully intelligent animals.
The Orca brain is around four times larger than a human and is thesecond-largest brain stem of any creature.
Their intelligence goes beyond the simple ability to be trained to understand human commands.
Octopus
The octopus is a truly unique individual.
Alien or not, one thing is for sure, they are one of themost intelligent animalsever discovered.
They rival human beings in learning and understanding concepts other animals cannot.
To highlight the intelligence of this delightful species, octopi can change the color of their skin.
Unlike other creatures, they do this not just for defense but in a way of expressing their mood.
Octopi also demonstrate the ability tomake eye contact with human trainersand have even been able to solve complex problems.
There have even been examples of these highly intelligent animals using water to flick switches on and off.
The octopus brain even has a dedicated learning center.
The intelligence of dolphins goes beyond their propensity to learn tricks for our amusement.
Studies have shown thattheir brains have spindle neurons.
Did you know the average dolphin brain weighs 3.5 pounds?
Thats heavier than a human brain.
Dolphins are incredibly social animals and have developed a complex communication system that allows them to stay in touch.
Much like the manta ray, dolphins are also capable of self-awareness.
Flight is something man strived to achieve for centuries.
Even now, we are obsessed with getting off the ground and taking to the skies.
We are not saying that birds are more intelligent animals than humans just because they can fly.
After all, biology plays a large part in that.
From mimicry to memory, birds have a seemingly endless capacity to surprise us.
They have demonstrated high-level skills forproblem solving and reasoning.Research has even shown they crows are capable ofunderstanding causality.
Did you know there have been countless examples tool use among crows especially to go fishing!
Ravens
Ravens come from the same family as crows and show similar levels of intelligence.
They are adept problem solvers and possess the ability to use tools to achieve their goals.
In addition, ravens have been seen working in pairs and employing distraction techniquesto achieve their goals.
This shows the ability to take a complex idea and execute it together.
African Grey Parrot
Everybody knows about African grey parrots and their outstanding language comprehension skills.
However, there is even more to these intelligent beings than just their ability toimitate human words.
African grey parrots live in complex social groups and work together to survive as a group.
This is probably one test where they outperformed humans.
The brainpower of these birds is definitely a most amazing feature and shows the depth of their intelligence.
However, unlike many other birds, the intelligence of Jays is a marvel that continues to astound.
They are an impressive example of aviary intelligence.
Yet Jays have been noticed doing just that.
No animals are capable of holding down a dynamic conversation with us humans.
So does that make them dumb?
No, because they all have ways to communicate with us and, more importantly, with each other.
If anything, our views are restrictive and limit us as a species.
However, that is probably an article for another day.
Intelligent animals are all around us.
Science is constantly discovering new species.
Then, considering evolution, who knows how intelligent animals could become.
