7. African Gray Parrots. African Gray Parrots are thought to be one of the most intelligent species on the planet, rivaling even apes. Some researchers have suggested that these parrots have a reasoning ability akin to a three- or four-year-old human child.
Dolphins are often cited as the second smartest animals on Earth due to their relatively high brain-to-body size ratio, the capacity to show emotion, and impressive mimicry of the dumb apes who research them.
Recognizing themselves in a mirror, learning to perform certain behaviors and solve problems faster than other animals are some of the skills of pigs, considered to be one of the smartest species, even more than chimpanzees, dogs or dolphins.
Your Grumpy Pup Is a Very Smart Dog — Science Says So
That said, research has been divided on the dog/cat intelligence question, with some studies suggesting dogs are more intelligent than cats because of their social nature, while others found that cats rank higher in abilities, such as long-term memory.
It's estimated that dolphins have an IQ of around 45, this makes them one of the smartest animals in the world, and probably the smartest animal in the ocean. It's estimated that the dolphin's brain size is almost five times bigger than is usual for a creature of their size.
Koalas. Koalas are not only extremely cute, they're smart, too! The marsupials know how to listen to their bodies and can dive into a deep sleep for an average of 22 hours a day. Koalas snack on eucalyptus leaves, which aren't high in nutrients—the abundant rest makes this diet possible.
Horses and Dogs are both intelligent animals, but they have different cognitive strengths. Horses excel in areas like navigational intelligence while dogs do better with social intelligence. Neither animal is smarter than the other, that's just what makes them unique!
The average dog's IQ is about 100. Your average dog is as smart as a two-year-old human! The dog breed with the highest IQ is the Border Collie, followed by other smart pups like the Belgian Malinois, Poodle, and German Shepherd.
1: Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees can learn sign language to communicate with humans. Karl Ammann/Getty Images. Topping our list of smartest animals is another great ape, the chimpanzee. The impressive intellectual abilities of this animal have long fascinated humans.
The strongest land animal in the world is the elephant. The typical Asian elephant has 100,000 muscles and tendons arranged along the length of the trunk, enabling it to lift almost 800 pounds. The gorilla, the strongest as well as largest primate on the planet, is at least six times stronger than the average human.
1. Border Collie: A workaholic, this breed is the world's premier sheep herder, prized for its intelligence, extraordinary instinct, and working ability. 2. Poodle: Exceptionally smart and active.
Besides humans, some of the most skilled vocal learners include parrots, songbirds, dolphins, and beluga whales.
Pigs are gentle creatures with surprising intelligence. Studies have found they're smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children! In the wild, pigs form small groups that typically include a few sows and their piglets.
Bottlenose Dolphins
For years, dolphins have been heralded as the smartest animals on Earth, second only to humans—though some would even contest that ranking. Aside from humans, dolphins have the greatest brain-to-body ratio among animal species, including primates.
Horses are not color blind, they have two-color, or dichromatic vision. This means they distinguish colors in two wavelength regions of visible light, compared to the three-color (trichromic vision) of most humans.
Horses are very social and affectionate animals. They cannot verbalize “I love you” but they can communicate those sentiments through their actions. Not all horses show affection in the same ways though. Here are some things to look for in your horse's behavior to know he loves you.
Based on the number of neurons found, they speculated that dogs have roughly the same intelligence as raccoons and lions, while domestic cats have comparable intelligence to bears. For comparison, humans have by far the highest number of neurons in our cerebral cortexes—as many as 16 billion per person.
That's why koalas sleep so much—they get very little energy from their diet. Tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, koalas may sleep for 18 to 22 hours. Koalas usually don't drink much water as they get most of their moisture from these leaves.
Sloths are creatures synonymous with laziness in the popular imagination, and there's a lot of truth to the claim. But while sloths in captivity have been witnessed sleeping up to 20 hours a day, research shows sloths in the wild sleeping for 10 hours a night or less.
Rats are as smart as dogs
And, while rats are much smaller than elephants, they have excellent memories.” American veterinarian and rat advocate Dr Karen Becker states: “Studies also show that rats are surprisingly self-aware, they're ticklish, and they dream just as we do.
Kangaroos showcase a notable level of intelligence, as evidenced by their ability to establish communication with humans to acquire food and employ strategic tactics, such as luring predators into the water for self-defence.
The kangaroo rat's kidneys are so efficient that it never needs to drink water. It gets all of its liquid from the plants, roots, and seeds it eats. Nonetheless, it is sufficient to keep the kangaroo rat alive. Note: Hummingbirds do not drink water, rather nectar, a sugary liquid, is their primary source of calories.