What Is the Smartest Animal on the Planet?

Most experts agree that the smartest animal on the planet is the chimpanzee.  In this article you will learn about these animals, and other very smart animals.

The chimpanzee, widely considered the smartest animal on the planet is a great ape that lives in western and central Africa.  Chimps show their high intelligence by making and using tools, solving problems, and hunting as a unit.  The have a very impressive long term memory, have learned American Sign Language, and even taught it to one another, according to Jane Goodall. 

She spent almost 30 years studying great apes in their native habitat in Tanzania.  After learning sign language, the great apes were able to put several symbols together to communicate a complex idea.  You can see why the chimpanzee is felt to be a very smart animal.

Chimpanzees’ arms are longer than their legs and their body is covered with long, dark hair.  They belong to the Pongidae family, which includes chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans.  When babies are born, they are unable to survive by themselves and cannot support their weight for at least two months.  They become much more independent by the age of two, and quit nursing between the ages of four and six years.  In the wild, they can live up to 40 years.      

Chimps can be found in rainforests, woodlands, and grasslands.  They have groups numbering from 10 to 100 and are very social, often touching and kissing when meeting.  Often, the adults will have a best friend, and in a family, the older siblings are very patient with the younger ones.

They eat a diversified diet that includes vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat, and bugs.  This has helped them to adapt to different habitats.  However, they are still an endangered species because they have lost a large part of their habitats due to deforestation and poaching.  At one time, it was estimated that there were over a million chimpanzees in Africa and now that number has dwindled to between 150,000 and 253,000.  There used to be chimps in 25 African countries, and now they are found in only six.   

Other Smart Animals

Here are the #2 through #10 smartest animals in the world:

Number 2 - Dolphins. Dolphins are definitely the smartest aquatic animal.  They are extremely social animals and can be seen playing, hunting, racing, leaping, whistling, caressing, and spinning together.  They have a very complex language that we are trying to understand.  They use tools and remember complex signals from their trainers.

Number 3 - Orangutans.  They are very gifted in their thinking and have a complex system of communication.  They have similar traits to the chimps.  Like the chimps, their social bonds may be one key to their advanced cognitive skills.

Number 4 - Elephants. Elephants have more than a good memory and they come in at number four.  They sometimes clean their food and will use tools found in the wild.  They are caring and empathetic to not only their own social group, but to other species as well.  This is a sign of advanced intelligence.  They also grieve and have death rituals.

Number 5 - Crows. Crows have been seen placing nuts in the street so cars will crack the shells.  They even wait for the light to change to get them.  They have complex communication and even play tricks on one another.

Number 6 - Pigs.  Both domestic and wild pigs are very adaptable to different conditions.  They are as trainable as cats and dogs and have become a favorite pet in the US.

Number 7 - Squirrels. Squirrel have persistence and a terrific memory.  They are very clever, like eating out of bird feeders, and will store food for lean times.  Sometimes they pretend to hide food to confuse thieves.

Number 8 - Pigeons.  According to scientific experiments, they are highly intelligent and have a strong, long-term memory.  They can be trained and can identify themselves in a mirror.

Number 9 - Octopus.  They can screw the lid off a jar and scientists are discovering their abilities, like playing, going through mazes, and solving problems.  They also have a good short term memory.

Number 10 - Rats.  Rats have been researched for years and can find shortcuts and escape routes in the tests designed by scientists.  The Chinese believe that rats are very cunning and resourceful.