The Smartest Animals On The Planet
Forget Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? A far more intriguing battle of wits would be Are You Smarter than a Bottlenose Dolphin? Humans aren’t the only species with more than a few brain cells to rub together. Many members of the animal kingdom possess the skills, knowledge, and intelligence to put some of us to shame. So who are the true animal masterminds?
20. Chickens can scheme
It’s fair to say that most people think chickens are lacking something between the eyes. So you will probably be surprised to learn that the birds are actually quite smart, in both good and bad ways. As per evidence cited by magazine Scientific American, apparently chickens can be quite the schemers when they want to be. Who knew that the movie Chicken Run was grounded in reality? But they are able to empathize with others, too.
Great communicators
Chickens are also great communicators. The noises they make might not be particularly easy on the ear, but they do serve as a language which the species can comprehend. If one hears a warning call, for example, then a chicken knows a predator is hovering above. We bet KFC now no longer seems that appetizing?
19. Otters use rocks as tools
Otters are undoubtedly one of the cutest creatures in the animal world, but as it turns out, they’re also among the most innovative. Long before dolphins had adopted their signature life hacks, otters were using rocks as makeshift hammers and anvils to help secure their food sources and break down sea shells.
Gene pools
In 2017 a study of over 100 otters’ gene pools was conducted at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. And it found that wild pups are able to start using tools before they’ve even been weaned off their mother. Those who are captive pups were shown to display basic pounding behavior despite the lack of any prior experience or training, too.
