Many animals are much smarter than we humans give them credit for. Many have problem-solving skills that surprise us, and many demonstrate empathy and social intelligence that rivals humans’. Many have shown an uncanny ability to learn, too.
Swipe through to get the deets on 7 of the smartest animals on the planet.
These relatively close relatives of humans share a remarkable 98.8% of our DNA, so it likely comes as no surprise that they are often considered the second smartest species on Earth after mankind. Chimps have perhaps been the most prolific subjects of intelligence testing by humans thanks to their incredible cognitive abilities, including recognizing themselves in mirrors and learning sign language.
Along with their corvid cousins the ravens, jays and magpies, crows exhibit some of the most impressive problem-solving skills in the animal kingdom. These clever birds have long been known to use tools or pluck feathers of competing avians to get what they want. And be careful not to cross them! Crows have the ability to remember faces and will hold a grudge.
In addition to being playful and personable, dolphins are among the smartest non-humans on the planet, boasting one of the most complex communication systems of any group of animals and having an extraordinary sense of echolocation. They sport an impressive memory bettered by only a few other species, and they form complicated social relationships that include cooperative behavior and coordinated hunts. Dolphins’ very high brain-to-body ratio likely accounts for their impressive intelligence.
These massive mammals, known above all for their exceptional memory, have an incredible ability to remember migration routes, food and water sources and other elephants’ faces. They also consistently demonstrate a heightened level of emotional intelligence, mourning the deaths of loved ones and celebrating the births of calves. Elephants take advantage of their trunks and the largest brain of any land animal to use tools and exhibit high-level problem-solving skills.
Among the millions of species lurking in our oceans, few are smarter than octopuses. These amazing cephalopods are masters of escape, with a mesmerizing ability to unscrew jar lids and squeeze their bodies through tight spaces. Combined with some of the best camouflage prowess on the planet and the ability to mimic other creatures, octopuses never make it easy for predators.
There’s a reason rats and mice are poster children for laboratory experimentation — they’re among the smartest rodents on Earth. Rats have an impressive knack for solving mazes and remembering solutions. These imaginative creatures also show empathy and frequently care for their injured own. Though generally unfairly disliked by humans, most rats are clean and have saved thousands of human lives through their ability to sniff out tuberculosis and detect land mines.
At first glance, it's natural to assume that these mud-loving farm animals wouldn’t be particularly smart, but pigs possess impressive capabilities to adapt to their environment and can learn at a high rate, making them as trainable as pet dogs. With an intelligence level roughly analogous to a three-year-old human, pigs have also demonstrated an understanding of human emotions and expressions of empathy. They can even play rudimentary video games!