Animals are a big part of the Earth and they have a huge role in our lives. Scientists try hard to find all the species that exist or existed but they only managed to document 14% of living species and the rest 86% are unknown. Unfortunately, some species will never be discovered because animals start to extinct without knowing they exist.
There are (estimated) 8.7 million animals in the World but we don’t know all the species and it would take us thousands of years to find them all and put them in the category they belong to.
When we were kids we all had a favorite animal and we wanted a pet but at the same time, we had an animal we were afraid of. Some animals are really cute while some are very dangerous or they have an ugly appearance. The question is, which are the most intelligent animals and what is their order?
Rats
Rats are rodents of different sizes and colors that are used in various experiments due to their intelligence. They are considered one of the smartest animals because they have a great memory and they can experience various emotions when they are lonely. Sadly, many people are disgusted by them due to their tails or how they look or the fact that in the past they carried a lot of diseases but some of them are really innocent and very cute. Rats can be good companions and good pets if properly cared for.
Pigeons
This kind of bird is very intelligent and is known as a “flying rat”. They can learn complex actions, they can recognize their reflection, and also learn mathematics. Some studies show that a pigeon might be as smart as a 3-year-old child! That’s impressive and cool, you gotta admit! Who would have thought that the pigeons I gave bread to could do so many things?
Crows
Everyone thinks crows are a bad sign or they bring death near them but that’s a horrible myth. Crows recognize human faces and they remember some sounds. They have the intelligence of a 7-year-old kid and they are capable of group decisions. Crows know when something dangerous like a weather change or something like that may appear and they know when to leave a place.
Pigs
Oh well, it seems that dogs and cats have just been overtaken by pigs. They are very smart and they can feel emotions very deeply and they can even feel the emotional state of another. It is very sad to know all of this when you think they are slaughtered so violently. As a fact, they can even learn how to play video games!
Octopus
The octopuses are very clever when kept in captivity. They try to escape and they can throw rocks and splash water out to try to get out. Their IQs are above 140! They feel the pain and they show negative behavior when they feel it. Some of them like to cuddle and they even accept humans and bond with them. A curious fact about them is that they have 3 hearts!
African Grey Parrots
This bird is not only a good pet, but it is also a good reminder! They have a relatively large vocabulary and they recognize colors, shapes, sizes, and numbers. In the wild, they live approximately 23 years. An interesting fact about male parrots is that they prefer female owners and they are violent with the male owner.
Elephants
Elephants have the biggest brain of all the animals which is 4,5-5kg. They are known for how friendly they are with humans and how they consider us “cute” and tiny. Elephants are intelligent empathetic beings, they mourn their loss and they suffer a lot. A study shows that an elephant can even sacrifice himself only to save its children. Elephants have different personalities and they are very playful. Not to mention, elephants have a surprisingly good memory and they can recognize things with their sense of touch.
Chimpanzees
A chimp is like a human being, the only really visible difference is the excessive hair (on the whole body) and the position they have. Besides that, a chimp has a lot in common with a man. Their life span in the wild can be even 45 years old! They can even grow to 167cm tall and they weigh between 30-60 kg. Studies show that chimpanzees are very social and they have different personalities. A very important aspect of their lives is that they clean each other from dirt and fleas. In every chimpanzee group exists an alpha and every family tries to teach their kid sign language, and all of that without humans interacting. However, chimpanzees managed to use tools and use them in such a way as to help them, so yes, they are clever animals.
Bottlenose Dolphins
Dolphins are ranked by some people as the smartest animals but they own that place only in the aquatic World. They are really intelligent and they recognize their reflection and the images on television. Also, they learn fast, they are trainable and they communicate with each other. Bottlenose dolphins are the top species of dolphins with the most intelligent abilities and they even hunt with other species of dolphins or orcas. Further, they mainly use acoustical mechanisms for navigational and discriminatory purposes and they can recognize a familiar sound even after 20 years. An adorable fact about dolphins is that they help the sick or injured members and they care about each other.
Orangutans
Orangutans earn the title of the smartest animals on Earth. They learn quickly and they build complex nests each night. Everything they know is learned from their mother. They have 32 teeth and they also smile and laugh like us! Orangutans infants cry so their mother feeds them and throughout their life, they live all the emotions a human feels. It’s illegal to have them as a pet due to their food needs and they can be malnourished if they are not fed properly. When they are small, they play fight in the trees even though the height is very high and they might fall. A fun fact is that an orangutan was successfully taught to swim!
Read more:
What does catnip actually do to cats?
