The animal kingdom is full of wonderful and intelligent creatures. However, many animals have peculiar behaviors that make them stand out! Every creature plays a unique role in our world, no matter how quirky their behaviors might be. Let’s take a closer look at some animals whose instincts and actions have earned them a reputation for being, well, a little less sharp.
1. Ostrich
The ostrich is the world’s largest bird, and many of its behaviors lean heavily on basic instinctual responses. Its survival strategies and actions often reveal its limited intellectual capacity. A long-standing myth suggests that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they feel threatened. In reality, they fall to the ground and try to blend in with their surroundings.
2. Turkey
Turkeys are often referred to as the world’s dumbest birds. This largely stems from their strange behaviors, such as mistaking pinecones for their eggs or following the first moving object they see after hatching. Despite this, they can be really awesome to interact with!
3. Jerboa
Jerboas are small rodents with irrational behaviors. When threatened, they tend to leap erratically instead of running away, which often leads them into more danger. Due to their poor decision-making skills, they are considered one of the dumbest animals.
4. Cane Toad
Cane toads are tough, heavily built amphibians with a bad reputation in Australia. They are known for their random eating habits and will try to eat anything that fits in their mouths. They have been known to consume harmful substances, often leading to their deaths.
5. Goblin Shark
The goblin shark is a rare deep-sea shark known for its terrible eyesight. It is sluggish and struggles to swim, often waiting for something to float near its mouth, which it will snatch with its extending jaws. The goblin shark will often try to consume inedible objects.
6. Koala
Did you know that koalas have the lowest brain-to-body mass ratio of any mammal? Their brains are almost entirely smooth, and they have limited cognitive abilities. They only eat eucalyptus leaves, which are hard to digest and lack proper nutrients. They do not recognize leaves picked from a branch and set on a flat surface as food.
7. Kakapo
New Zealand’s kakapo is a flightless parrot with almost no survival instincts. These birds have no natural fear of predators and will remain motionless and silent when threatened by cats, dogs, and even rats. This has driven the kakapo to near extinction!
8. Norwegian Lemming
Norway lemmings are small mammals found in northern Fennoscandia. They are known for being quite aggressive! Due to a lack of resources, young lemmings often spread out, looking for new territory. During this time, they become very aggressive and annoy predators much larger than them. This usually leads to their demise.
9. Slow Loris
The slow loris is a nocturnal primate and one of the planet’s few venomous mammals. Despite that, it rarely uses its defenses when threatened. They are known to freeze in place as a defense mechanism, making themselves even more vulnerable to predators.
10. Afghan Hound
Afghan hounds are an interesting dog breed. They are known for their poor trainability and memory. They don’t seem to grasp how to play dead or roll over, unlike other dogs that can be trained to perform these tricks. But are they really that dumb? These dogs are very stealthy and independent!
11. Sloth
Sloths are known for their incredibly poor eyesight and limited cognitive abilities, sometimes mistaking their own limbs for tree branches, resulting in accidental falls. Similarly to the slow loris, they tend to freeze when confronted by predators, a response that often proves fatal.
12. Komodo Dragon
While they are exceptional hunters, Komodo dragons have limited problem-solving abilities and don’t often learn from past experiences. Despite encountering electric fences and receiving shocks, they repeatedly approach and walk into them, suggesting a minimal capacity for memory or understanding.
Source:
What Is the Dumbest Animal? These 14 Defy Evolution
Stay connected with us for more stories like this! Follow us to get the latest updates or hit the Follow button at the top of this article, and let us know what you think by leaving your feedback below. We’d love to hear from you!
