Most people are under the assumption that dogs are some of the most intelligent animals. However, there has been new research which showcases that there are many American animals that aren’t just smarter than our canine companions, but so clever, that they can rival even certain humans in specific cognitive areas.
From livestock to wild birds, these animals challenge our notions about intelligence, memory, empathy, and problem-solving. Here are some American animals whose mental abilities broke the mold: prepare to meet animals that master video games, outwit thieves, and decode human emotions.
Pigs
Pigs are often overlooked as simple farm animals, but scientific studies have highlighted some amazing abilities. Pigs have often been compared to toddlers in intelligence, and rightfully so. They have amazing cognitive abilities that rival dogs in some regards.
Studies have shown that pigs can be taught to play video games of all things. It’s an impressive feat that not many species in the animal kingdom can boast about.
They can recall the “what, where, and when” of events. They can also showcase incredible empathy and complex social hierarchies not prevalent in most other species. Pigs can even have better scent tracking than some breeds of dogs and can learn, remember, and manipulate their environment around them.
Raccoons
Raccoons are usually undermined as just scavengers of trash, but they are uniquely clever. They have amazing problem-solving abilities and can adapt quickly to new environments, most notably urban ones.
Tests have shown that they have innovative ways to solve puzzles that test cause-and-effect reasoning. This makes their intelligence comparable to children in certain areas.
Some raccoons can display investigative behaviors and learning abilities that can rival young kids. They also boast amazing dexterity and curiosity, which help them solve problems in ways that many toddlers and dogs can’t.
Ravens
Ravens are curious birds that develop surprising cognitive abilities at a quick rate. They can match chimpanzees and orangutans when it comes to memory tests. They’ve even showcased great cognitive permanence and basic math abilities.
A four-month-old raven can solve problems and communicate with humans to the same degree that great apes can. This puts them leagues ahead of what infants and toddlers can achieve.
They understand basic arithmetic and can even learn from observing humans. This makes them far more intelligent than dogs to certain degrees and makes them a surprisingly engaging animal to be around.
Squirrels
Squirrels are regarded as vermin in the eyes of many people, but they are actually a lot smarter than many of us give them credit for. They have great long-term memory and good problem-solving skills, too.
Studies have shown that they can remember the answers to complex puzzles for up to two years and use what they learned in new tasks. This amazing memory ability and skill remembrance puts them ahead of dogs and infants.
They even have the ability to deceive, plan, and adapt to urban environments, which shows a great level of intellect.
Goats
Goats may look a little dumb at times, but they are quite capable of showcasing higher levels of thinking, including advanced social skills, when raised in diverse environments.
Goats reared with their mothers and other goats around them develop a higher social intelligence than when alone, which shows that they learn from their peers and can adapt to living in new groups.
They form unique relationships with each other and can pick up on complex social cues. This is comparable to, and sometimes even greater than, the intelligence of young children, especially those who are deprived of social environments.
American Crows
American crows are a bird notorious for their intelligence. They are so clever that they can use tools in the environments to provide solutions to complicated problems.
Crows are on par when it comes to tool use with young children, but their ability to craft and use them, as well as remember faces and pass on knowledge to others, puts them far ahead of dogs.
They are said to have the same reasoning skills of preschool children. When studied, some individuals showcased problem solving abilities that surpasses even five-year-old children.
Octopuses
Octopuses are an incredibly unique animals that showcases that not all intelligence is found on terrestrial species. An octopuses have brain development that mirrors that of humans despite millions of years of evolutionary divergence.
They can use tools in their environments to solve problems, and have even been observed making plans to prepare for future events. This showcases complex thinking, with problem solving abilities toddlers haven’t mastered yet.
Octopuses possessing similar brain development to humans suggests a convergent evolution for intelligence and makes them smarter than dogs, and more advanced than young children.
Bottlenose Dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are intellectually advanced marine animals. They have amazing cognitive abilities that surpass dogs and can rival toddlers and even older children. Dolphins have the ability to recognize their reflections and can understand symbolic language.
Their complex problem-solving skills show amazing intellect, and their social intelligence is also exceptional. They cooperate with their pod in hunting and can use tools in their environment, such as marine sponges. Dolphins can speak to each other through complex clicks and whistles, forming their own complicated language.
Dolphins also have an amazing memory, being able to remember the signature whistles of other dolphins for more than two decades. Their memory, coupled with their ability to show emotions puts them above toddlers and well above dogs.
African Grey Parrot
Going back to birds, the African grey parrot has remarkable intelligence. They are not originally natives to America, but through the exotic pet trade, many Americans in the U.S. own them as pets. They can learn human language and then repeat it with meaning.
They understand abstract concepts like color, shapes, and numbers. This helps them solve complex puzzles that dogs wouldn’t even understand.
They can count, accurately identify objects, and understand the meaning of zero. These skills outpace that of young children.
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