Measuring intelligence in animals is tricky business when every animal processes information differently. Read the article and click through the slideshow to learn how different species show their smarts.
Category Archives: Animal Intelligence
How Guide Dogs Work
Learn about what guide dogs do, both on the job and “after hours”; where they come from; and how they are raised and trained.
Like humans, these big-brained birds may owe their smarts to long childhoods
Corvids, birds in the crow family, give new meaning to the phrase “bird-brained.” Read on to learn what these intelligent birds have in common with humans.
Dogs Detecting Disease: Meet America’s Cancer-Sniffing Canines
Did you know dogs are being trained to smell cancer? Turns out their noses can detect more complex things than you might think!
Animal Cam Education
Did you know you can tap into the webcams at The Smithsonian National Zoo? See how animals—large and small—typically spend their days.
Surprising stories of animal intelligence
House cats, rats, and pigs—oh my! These creatures are way smarter than you think.
Scientists crack mystery of migrating monarch navigation
Butterflies may have tiny brains, but they manage an impressive feat of navigation, even when blown off course.
Parrots Are a Lot More Than ‘Pretty Bird’
Scientists have learned that wild parrots make tools, talk to each other in their own language, and can prevent poisoning themselves. Read more about the intelligence of these smart birds.
Can animals be deceptive?
Scientists consider whether animals are intentionally deceptive based on how they interact with other animals.
Animals Take Over Cities During Self-Isolation
A surprising side effect of the lockdowns imposed during the global coronavirus pandemic is the sight of wild animals on deserted city streets.
Horses are smarter than we realize
Scientific studies are proving that horses have better memories and more intelligence than previously thought.
Smart vultures never, ever cross the Spain-Portugal border. Why?
A bird can fly anywhere. So why wouldn’t it cross a national border? Find out how scavenging birds have responded to government policies in Europe.
Elephants Have a Special Alarm Sound: ‘Humans! Run!’
Elephants have their own languages, and scientists are learning to discern what their different sounds mean.
Animal Intelligence
Get an overview of how intelligence appears across the animal world and why humans care so much about it.
How Animal Camouflage Works
If an animal isn’t as fast or strong as its predators, then it has to be smarter to avoid being eaten. Find out about one adaptation that helps some animals outsmart the enemy.
Are Pigs as Smart as Dogs, and Does It Really Matter?
An opinion columnist explores the idea of whether we should think about how smart the kinds of animals we eat might be.
Bees ‘get’ addition and subtraction, new study suggests
New study reveals that bees can add and subtract—just don’t ask them to do your homework!
Goats can distinguish emotions from each other’s calls—study
Scientists have found that goats are able to distinguish emotions from each other’s calls.
Study: Treats Might Mask Animal Intelligence
Using treats to train animals may be masking their true abilities. Watch the videos as you read the article.
How Smart Are Planet’s Apes? 7 Intelligence Milestones
In response to movies about supersmart apes, National Geographic compiled this slideshow about how smart apes really are.