The 15 Most Intelligent Animals In The World

In an age when comparative psychology is advancing ever faster, it is easy to identify the most intelligent animals in the world. The idea that the human being is superior to the rest of the species in cognitive capacities is already very outdated.

Intelligence, understood as the ability to adapt to the environment, is within the reach of any living being, since all of us – even plants – seek to survive. And to survive it is necessary to outwit predators, create shelter, make tools, hunt and much more that other species do spectacularly.

In this article you have a list of the animals considered the most intelligent. If you want to know more about them, keep reading.

The smartest animals in the world

Intelligence has been measured as an agglomeration of factors that interact with each other, such as problem solving, theory of mind, social interactions and a long etcetera.

The animals that you have below far surpass many of the tests of ingenuity that have been put before them.

1. Chimpanzee

The common chimpanzee  has shown advanced intelligence very similar to that of the human being – not for nothing do we share more than 98% of our DNA with them. They are able to use tools, speak sign language, have theory of mind, culture and even have a working memory much greater than that of a human.

2. Orangutan

The orangutans, known as the thinkers of the jungle, have earned that title thanks to their thoughtful attitude – they stop to think instead of using trial and error. They are also capable of creating tools, recognizing themselves and talking about the past. 

3. Dolphins

Dolphins are the living proof that you don’t need hands to be smart or to use tools. Dolphin language is so complex that it includes syntax, and they even name themselves and their young.

4. Crows

Of all the corvids – already quite intelligent in itself – the raven ( Corvus corax)  is considered the most intelligent bird in the world. Like some primates, it chooses and prepares branches to push into hollows in trees to remove insects.

A study revealed that they can plan actions, a capacity that was reserved exclusively for human beings. In it, the crows were shown to be able to estimate the hunger they would have up to 17 hours later, storing food flexibly.

5. Elephants

The social organization of elephants is one of the most complex of mammals, with strong family ties and a complicated and sensitive emotionality.

Elephants have shown behaviors typical of funeral rituals, culture and self-medication through different plants, among many other things.

6. Rats

The loss of prejudice against these animals revealed a world of great discoveries about their intelligence. Rats are capable of planning and using logic to solve problems, even collaborating.

Other studies show that they are capable of showing remorse, altruism and an extraordinary capacity for orientation.

7. Pigs

The pigs have also ended up demonstrating their skills. These animals are capable of recognizing emotions in other species, recognizing themselves and even solving mazes.

Pigs are credited with more intelligence than dogs and are beginning to be compared to the chimpanzee.

8. Octopus

Octopuses are so peculiar animals that it has been hypothesized that they are extraterrestrial. They learn incredibly quickly and solve problems they have never faced in record time.

Recently it was shown that octopuses dream of images and experiences of their day to day. 

9. Orcas

These cetaceans compete with dolphins in intelligence, showing a great capacity to innovate in their hunting techniques and modulate the frequency of their calls to communicate with other species. In places where orcas live in large groups, the existence of culture has been demonstrated.

10. Social invertebrates

Insects are often left out of intelligence lists. However, those that live in large colonies, such as ants or termites, have shown clear signs of not being silly at all: you just have to look at the dance of bees or the fungal cultures of ants.

11. Yaco or gray parrot

Of all the parrots, the gray parrot is the most intelligent. He is capable of making associations between words and their meaning when communicating with humans and, furthermore, his capacity for imitation is amazing.

12. Dove

This bird is in close contact with humans, which has presented an opportunity to study its behavior in depth. Pigeons can recognize human facial features, as well as their image in a mirror. They can also recognize objects previously presented in a photograph.

13. Raccoon

Raccoons have a great memory that, combined with their great ability to solve problems, allows them to find solutions to the same puzzle up to 3 years later. They are known for knowing how to open locks.

14. Spiders

Another underrated invertebrate: spiders’ hunting techniques are not limited to creating a web – impressive in itself – but they add other plays to catch their prey.

For example, portia spiders have had to learn to hunt other spiders, mimicking the vibrations of an insect trapped in the web to attract them.

15. Sheep

The reputation of sheep for being unintelligent is totally unfounded, as they are capable of recognizing faces, as well as the emotions they show. Their organization in times of panic has been studied in depth: the efficiency of sheep in communicating danger and fleeing in an organized way is striking.

This list could go on, and not because animals are lacking, but because all species show ingenuity when it comes to survival. Applying human intelligence to all species is a mistake, since asking a cow to climb a tree will never give a reliable result: it is necessary to know them and adapt the tests that evaluate them.