Can you answer this question, what is the smartest animal in the world?, We all know that humans are the most intelligent and intelligent animals in the world. Clearly, I am not comparing human brains with that of animal but there are lot many tasks that these animals can do with more perfection as compared with humans. We have also written about a few nocturnal animals that can only be seen in the night. The simple reason is that their minds are uniquely adapted for these activities. So, here are the 20 most intelligent animals in the world,
Smartest Animals
1. Chimpanzee
They are also called by the name of great ape or chimps. Chimpanzee is native to sub-Saharan Africa. The male and the female Chimpanzee are very much different in their appearance. They don’t only look like humans but also have the ability to think like humans up to an extent. They are the most intelligent and smartest animal in the world other than humans. They belong to the apes family the same family from which the humans have evolved. There are many animals in the apes family namely chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and bonobos. Chimps can be very aggressive and there are instances where they have attacked chimps and humans as well.
Chimpanzees have amazing communication power within the group. They can also use many tools in the forest for their community and find food. Humans and Chimpanzee have quite similar DNA. If properly trained, they can even learn human’s language and the different words that we speak in our daily life. The different pan-species are now coming into the endangered species because of the human activities like poaching and habitat destruction. It also comes under strongest animals in the world.
Also Read: Top 10 Endangered Animals In The World
2. Elephant
Elephants are the largest mammal which belongs to the family Elephantidae. It is also one of the loudest animals in the world. They are divided into two parts the African elephant and the Asian elephant. They also have the largest brain of all the land animals. I am not saying that if they have a larger brain that doesn’t mean they are the most intelligent one but elephants are also one of the intelligent animals in the world. They can very easily things from the surrounding which is very helpful for their survival. They are also known as humans best friends because of their social and intelligent behaviour. The elephant gestation period is 22 months, highest among the and animals in the world. The average weight of a newborn elephant baby is approximately 260 pounds, however, the average weight of the human baby is approximately 7 pounds. The baby can stand up shortly after being born.
You will not believe but elephants can mimic many different types of sounds and also they are very efficient in order to use different tools in the forest for finding food. They are also known for showing emotions like joy and sorrow. All elephants have several distinctive features but they are known for their long trunk or proboscis. The proboscis is very helpful for them in breathing, lifting water and grasping objects. The African elephants are known for their larger ears while Asian elephants with smaller ears and convex or level backs. Elephants have unforgetting memory is one of the most common animal stereotypes in the world.
Also Read: Top 10 Biggest Animals In The World
3. Pigs
One of the most common domestic animals in the world, Pigs are native to the Eurasian and African continents. There are many studies which prove that they are also one of the intelligent, social and intelligent animals in the world. They are also one of the huge populations of animals that are living on the planet with a population of around 1 billion. They also come in the omnivorous family that can eat a large variety of food as humans do. There is a little similarity that is why for many medical purpose pigs are used. They also carry many parasites that can be easily transferred to humans. There are many studies that prove that the pigs can be as smart as a 3-year-old human baby because they have faced many problems and difficult situation. Pigs can produce sound as loud as 115 decibels and that is 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic airliner.
There will be a lot of unity that you will notice in pigs. They usually found in groups and eat together, play together and even sleep together. They have 20 different types of sound that they use for the communication purpose. They will never forget their home and have the ability to trace their home even from far away distance. Wild pigs are also very intelligent as they grow plants in the nearby areas of their home and also help in the transportation of seeds. The small baby is very much aware of what the mother is saying in different sounds that show their intelligence since birth. Piglets are one of the cutest baby animals in the world.
4. Dolphin
One of the friendliest animals in the world, Dolphins have the ability to recognize themselves in the mirror which proves that they are one of the intelligent animals in the world. Bottlenose dolphins are the type of Dolphins that have the largest brains among all animal kingdoms. They are very much helpful to humans in solving different mysterious related to the oceans. They are also very much capable of showing different emotions like happiness, joy, and sorrow. When dolphins are sleeping only one side of the brain sleeps the other keep active to defend them from any threats. The killer whale is also known as Orca is actually a type of dolphin.
They can also learn things very fast if trained properly. They belong to many different families like Delphinidae, Platanistidae, Iniidae, and Pontoporiidae depending on whether they are oceanic dolphins, Indian river dolphins, new world river dolphins and brackish dolphins. It is also listed under amazing animals in the world. They are fond of eating fish and squid but many of them also like killer whales and seals. You will also like reading about beautiful fishes in the world.
Also Read: Top 10 Favorite Animals of the World
5. Whale
The Whales comes under eight families namely Balaenopteridae, Balaenidae, Cetotheriidae, Eschrichtiidae, Monodontidae, Physeteridae, and Kogiidae. They are known to humans as the heaviest animal that can interact very well in groups but uses very complex sounds in order to communicate with each other. The social behaviour of the groups and communication techniques used make them one of the intelligent animals in the world. One type of whale named Sperm whales has the largest brains than any other living thing in the world. There is also one type of whale named beluga whales that are very efficient and can mimic human speech. Whales can be seen all across the oceans, however, their specific range varies by species.
The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on Earth. They also are known as the creatures of the open ocean because they feed, live to give birth and raise their young in the sea. Oceans have many aquatic animals especially fishes that have mind-blowing superpowers which help them to protect themselves from predators. However, there are many deep sea creatures that can be terrifying too.
You can also read: Animals That Could Disappear Forever
6. Parrots
They are also called psittacines. Parrots are native to tropical and subtropical regions. They are roughly species of Parrots and most of them found in South America and Australasia. I think most of you have seen Parrots taking and repeating the words. This clearly proves that they are also one of the most intelligent and intelligent animals in the world. They are fond of eating seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material.
They are also very much capable of solving complex problems that exist within their social network. The population of the Parrots is decreasing very rapidly because of the hunting, deforestation and habitat loss. All types of parrot species have two things in common a curved beak, and zygodactyl feet. They are also known for their curved bill and strong legs. There are some species who also loved to eat animals and carrion. Let us also tell you about strange looking birds in the world.
7. Dog
Dogs are known as humans best friends in the animal kingdom. They are very social and are also capable of showing different emotions like happiness, joy, and sorrow. According to the research, the average dog is as intelligent as 2 years old human baby. They have many abilities like the sense of smelling and faster learning ability. They have the best understanding of the human world in the whole animal kingdom. Dogs are very helpful to humans in assisting police and assisting the military.
Dogs can learn more than 1000 words. The smelling power of dogs is so strong that they can differentiate between the million types of scents. If trained properly, they can respond very well to their owners. You will also enjoy reading about the most beautiful dog breeds in the world.
8. Octopus
Octopus belongs to the family invertebrates and in that they are the smartest and intelligent animal. According to the studies, they are well-equipped hunters that use its full mind while finding food. They have many strategies in order to protect themselves from predators. Only one group of Octopus known as blue-ringed octopus found deadly to humans. Octopuses have three hearts, two of them work exclusively to move blood beyond the animal’s gills, however, third keeps circulation flowing for the organs.
There are around 300 species of Octopus known to us as of now. They release a unique black colour when they are discovered by others. They have the ability to hide when they are discovered by predators. They also change their body shapes and uses a different type of shells.Glass Octopus is one of the transparent animals on planet Earth.
Also Read: Top 10 Farm Animals In The World
9. Squirrels
Squirrels are the animals that are known for planting trees and the fact is that they don’t know that they have done so. Actually, Squirrels used to hide their foods but they forget where they have hidden the seed. The seeds will later grow into trees. Now you are thinking they forget very easily about their food so how can they be intelligent but when it comes to searching for the food they are most intelligent and intelligent animals on the planet. They are known for gathering food with their uniquely adapted mind. They belong to the family Sciuridae. Squirrels are capable of locating food buried beneath a foot of snow.
10. Crow
They are one of the hugely populated bird species in the world. They belong to the family Corvidae. According to the studies, they use many tricks with their mind when they are searching for food and making the nest. They have also the largest brain in the bird species. These two facts are enough to say that they are the most intelligent and intelligent animals in all bird species. They have also identified human faces and very efficiently hide their food from other animals. They also very much capable of using the stones and pebbles in order to attack predators. Except for Antarctica, Crows can be seen on every continent of this planet. They are very intelligent while finding food in the human world like they drop the nuts in traffic lines to break the husks to get food. We have also listed the most beautiful nocturnal animals in the world.
11. Cats
The intelligence of a cat can be defined as its ability to solve problems and adapt to its environment. Now, it has been approximately 4000 years when cats have been domesticated because they were valued for their hunting capabilities, companionship and loving behaviour. Domestic cats additionally known as little cats, however, differ from large cats such as lions and tigers because they are naturally active at night and can purr. One of the most popular pet in the UK and in the US, cats have 30 teeth and most of us must be aware of how sharp they are!. Also, they have a reflective layer in their eyes known as tapetum lucidum that magnifies incoming light allowing them to see up to 6 times better than humans can in low light.
Both cats and dogs have ‘third eyelid’ known as the nictitating membrane which is found on the inside corner of the eye which is an extra protective function of the eye. Mostly cats are left-pawed than right and can retract their front claws. They keep them sharp because it can be used or climbing. One of teh smartest animals can run at a speed of up to 30km per hour and the largest known cat breed in Australia is known as the Maine Coon where males can weigh upto 12kgs. It is also said that 75% of cats respond to catnip and this herb stimulates those cats that are genetically programmed to respond.
12. Owls
The smartest animals among the birds can be seen in all continent except Antarctica. Today, we have around 200 species of owls that live in different kind of terrestrial habitats that includes deserts, mountain areas, open grasslands and forests, however, they can also be seen near farms and villages. Owls can be divided into two large groups named as a barn and true owls, however, only 19 groups belong to barn owls and 190 species to true owls that differ in size, colour and appearance.
The carnivorous animals love to eat rodents, small mammals, fish, birds and insects but they did not chew food because they dont have teeth instead, if the prey is large they use there beak to tear the prey apart. One of the species known as barn owls is very essential for the farmers because it eliminates rodents in the barns and fields. The bird species have an excellent of hearing because ears are located on both sides of the head and behind the eyes. The average lifespan of owls in captivity is around 20 years.
13. Falcons
The medium-sized bord species belong to the family of falcons and caracaras. The 37 species of falcon can be found all around the world except on Antarctica. It is believed that the bird species appeared on the planet 8 to 24 million years ago and managed to adapt life in all circumstances. One of the smartest animals and bird species appear in dark brown colour or grey coloured with white, yellow and black spots markings on the body. The bird species is most active during the day and loves to hunt rodents, frogs, fish, bats and small birds.
They have keen eyesight that helps them in the detection of potential prey and mostly it collects prey in mid-air from the ground and water with equal ease. The solitary bird can spend whole life in the same area or sometimes migrate up to 15.000 miles per year on its way from the wintering grounds to the breeding areas. The average lifespan of falcons is 15 years in the wild.
14. Horses
Horses being one of the smartest animals in the world have been domesticated for about 5,000 years in central Asia. It comes in approximately 300 different breeds and 60 million horses in the world today that is used as working animals mostly in the field and transport heavy loads, however today we have only Przewalski’s horse remains as a wild horse species and can be seen in Mongolia but it is extremely rare. Horses have an excellent sense of hearing thanks to the erect ears that can move in all directions.
Horses are a very intelligent animal with an excellent memory and use it ears, eyes and nostrils to express its mood. The average galloping speed of the horse is 25 to 30 miles per hour and have an average lifespan of 25 years in the wild. The species is also used in therapy of various mental disorders because of its ability to improve the psychological state of people with its calm nature and beauty. Also, horses have the biggest eyes of all the land mammals and can view 360 degrees.
15. Racoons
The smaller relatives of bears mostly seen in South and North America, but they can be found in Asia and Europe also. It loves to thrive in wooded areas close to water, however, they can be also seen in urban areas. Today, we have a total of 7 different species of racoons and only Pygmy racoon is the only endangered species. One of the intelligent and smartest animals can reach 2 to 5 feet in length and weighs between 12-16 pounds but is observed that the Raccoons that live in colder climates are larger and heavier.
Talking about the appearance, they have a greyish fur, black mask around eyes and a long tail covered with black and brown bands. It has a unique tail and hence known as “ringtail”. The animal species is omnivorous and likes to eat insects, eggs, small mammals, fruit, berries, seed, garbage etc. They are not hibernating animals, however, they love to spend coldest days of winters in their burrows.
16. Ant
The social insect has more than 12,000 species of ants and there are many that are not discovered yet. The species can be seen on all continents except Antarctica. They love to thrive in tropical forests which are also considered as their homes. Ants have a special contribution to nature where they improve the quality of the soil by eliminating unwanted insects and from the soil. It can reach upto 0.03 to 2 inch in length, however, the size depends on species to species.
Talking about the appearance, they have a large head with strong jaws and narrow waists. Ants have poor eyesight and they usually communicate by the three things namely, sound, touch and chemical signals known as pheromones. They can also be considered as one of the strongest animals in the world because it can carry 50 times greater of their own weight. Depending on the species, Ants can survive from several weeks to years. One of the smartest animals species Queen ants can survive up to 30 years.
17. Sea lions
One of the most adorable species on planet Earth that are mostly seen in the sea. There are approximately seven different species of sea lions and they belong to the group of animals called “pinnipeds.” The male species of sea lions grow pretty bigger in size as compared to female ones. Also, the female took the largest sea lion to mate with and hence bigger is better. One of the smartest creatures in the world can be seen throughout the ocean except the Northern Atlantic Ocean.
Scientists are still not able to find out the reason why they are like to live in this region. The species has numerous ways to communicate with each other and they ofently seen in travelling in large groups that can have subgroups. Because of human activities in the ocean, the species is endangered, however, international laws have been made on illegal hunting of sea lions.
18. Squid
Squid can be called as cephalopod with a thin and soft body with 10 arms. Out of 10 arms, eight arms are shorter and two are tentacles. They vary in size and have two fins on the head. By this, you can differentiate it from Octopus. The marine species can grow upto 65 feet in length and mostly prey on fish and crustaceans. For its defence purpose, Squid is seen emitting an inky cloud as a defence mechanism. The Colossal Squid is considered as the largest invertebrate in the world and the only predator that giant squid has the sperm whales.
19. Orangutan
One of the largest apes in the world is also popular as one of the smartest animals because of their ability to use different resources of forests, however, there are two types of orangutans, one named by the island of Indonesia known as Sumatran and Borean orangutans. They are mostly seen in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. The bad news is that they both the species are critically endangered because of the poaching and loss of habitat. The species is also considered as our closest relative of humans because they have 32 teeth and pregnancy lasts for 9 months just like humans females.
It can grow upto 3.5-4.5 feet tall and weighs approximately 110-200 pounds. One of the largest arboreal mammals means mammals who love to spend their lives in the trees. It prefers trees to protect themselves from predators such as tigers or leopards that hunt on the ground. The unique feature is that they reproduce slowly and they produce 3 offspring in a lifetime. The average lifespan of the Orangutans is 35 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.
20. Pigeons
The bird species love to remain close to humans for approximately thousands of years. Currently, there are over 300 different species of pigeons that can be seen across the globe except for Sahara desert, Antarctica and Arctic. Because of their intelligence and beauty, they are often prepared as pets, however, there are many smartest species that are endangered because of habitat loss, predation and diseases. The size of the bird grows depending on the species where large pigeon can reach upto 19 inches in length and weighs approximately 8.8 pounds.
Talking about the appearance, they have a colourful plumage that depends on the diet and habitat, however, most common plumage is greyish. It has strong muscles that allow him to fly at an altitude of 6000 feet. One of the intelligent and smartest animals can recognize themselves in the mirror and also they can find the same two people on two different pictures. Also, they can recognize all letters of the English alphabet. The average lifespan of the species is more than 30 years in the wild.
Pigeons
These are the smartest animals in the world. Do post your comments.
