Animals are much smarter than people realize, scientist says

What is the smartest species in the world? You might think it's humans by a long shot, but the reality is a lot more complicated.

Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University, has a new book out called "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" and in it he gives hundreds of examples of surprising intelligence from non-human species, including many instances where other animals appear to be smarter than we are.

Chimpanzees, for instance, can easily beat humans at recalling a set of numbers that was displayed for a fraction of a second.

Octopuses can learn to open pill bottles protected by childproof caps, which many humans can't figure out on their own.

Dogs and horses, among many species that spend time around humans, are able to recognize body language cues that are lost on us.

Many species can do stuff we can't even imagine: bats that map out space with echolocation; birds that figure out the complex mechanics of flight and landing; and ticks that identify passing mammals by the smell of butyric acid.

In fact, every species' operating system is finely tuned to do what it needs to do, which makes intelligence comparisons across species rather pointless.

"It seems highly unfair to ask if a squirrel can count to ten if counting is not really what a squirrel's life is about," de Waal writes. "The squirrel is very good at retrieving nuts, though, and some birds are absolute experts .... That we can't compete with squirrels and nutcrackers on this task — I even forget where I parked my car — is irrelevant, since our species does not need this kind of memory for survival the way forest animals braving a freezing winter do."

Take chimpanzees, which share 99% of their DNA with humans. De Waal describes a female chimp named Kuif who learned to feed an adopted baby chimp with a bottle and knew to withdraw the bottle when the baby needed to burp. Still more impressive was how Kuif, every time she was called into a separate area for feeding, would first take the time to visit the alpha male, the alpha female, and several friends, waking them up if they were sleeping, and giving them a farewell kiss.

Dandy, a young male chimp described by de Waal, was smart enough not to reveal finding some buried grapefruits while in the company of larger males. Hours later he ran back unaccompanied to eat them alone.

Grande, another chimp, would sit quietly when unable to reach a banana hung from the ceiling, until in moments of inspiration she would spring up and try a new technique for reaching the banana: connecting sticks to create a longer tool or stacking boxes to climb higher.

Chimps show almost human levels of cognitive complexity in these actions. And again there are areas where chimp thinking surpasses human thinking — among them short-term recall and perhaps some kinds of social awareness.

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Animals Vs Drones Best Videos

If you’ve ever had a neighbor who’s flown a drone over your yard, you’ve probably been tempted to shoot it down and teach him a lesson.

Because of this, we can’t help but cheer every time we see a video of an animal taking down a drone that’s invading their territory and being a general nuisance. We’ve rounded up some of the best videos of animals attacking drones from around the web for your viewing pleasure — check them out below.

This video shows what happens when you try to use an aerial drone to film a cheetah — he basically sees it as one giant laser pointer to chase and capture

This hawk, meanwhile, was clearly not happy to see a quadcopter flying into his neighborhood. He executed it with extreme prejudice

The chimps are pretty clever, however, and one of them successfully used a long stick to knock the drone out of the sky

Here’s a particularly famous video of an angry ram who is clearly fed up that a drone owner has decided to invade his space. It exacts righteous revenge

And finally, we go to the land down under where a kangaroo does its best Manny Pacquiao impersonation by boxing a drone straight out of the sky

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8 Exotic Animals that can be kept as Pets

When it comes to pets, some people think the common house cat or dog is too boring or common. Home owners are able to keep exotic pets, and there are so many to choose from. Some cities and towns will need these animals to be registered but some places are very lenient when it comes to people keeping exotic animals for pets.

Here are 8 exotic animals that you can legally own as a pet.

Capybaras

If you think hamsters and guanine pigs are too small, get a capybara. This animal is the world’s biggest rodent, reaching a weight of 150 pounds and a length of 4 feet. Unlike their smaller relatives, these rodents can live a pretty long life, spanning from 8 to 10 years. They do share similar traits with hamsters and guanine pigs, like their being very social, playful and smart. Capybaras will need fresh grass or veggies to eat and some water to swim in.

Fennec Fox

One of the cutest fox species around, there perky, large ears give them an innocent and childlike look. Originating from North Africa, these foxes can love to around 10 to 16 years and have recently become popular as exotic house pets. Having one is like owning a dog and a cat. They’re playful, loyal and protective, but they spend most of the day sleeping and have the same temperament as cats. Expect these guys to run around or jump on your couch because of excitement.

Kinkajou

This adorable little animal is actually related to the raccoons. They come from the forest of South and Central Africa, and can live up to 20 to 25 years. They’re also called “honeybears” and are incredibly sociable and affectionate. Kinkajous get along well with other animals and humans since they love to play and are docile in nature.

Serval

Servals are definitely not your usual house cat. They originate from south and central Africa and can live up to 19 years. They can grow to about 2 feet tall and weight at 40 pounds, which is about the same size of a medium sized dog. Many serval owners say that they’re cat acts more like a dog. they even take them out for walks in leashes.

Wallaby

Kangaroos are definitely too big to keep as pets, but wallabies are the perfect size for a home with a lawn or backyard. They can weigh in at 53 pounds and grow to about 40 inches. People who love the outdoors will love the wallaby since they prefer to spend more time outside. They’re also fuzzy and cute, love to hop around and are extremely friendly and social.

Squirrel Monkey

Originating from the forests of South and Central America, squirrel monkeys may just be the most lovable exotic pet anyone can have. They can weigh to around 2 pounds when fully grown and are energetic, playful and a lot of fun. These animals are also very intelligent, affectionate, and social, much like a child. Their brain to body ratio is the biggest amongst the primates, so potty-training is going to be a breeze.

Hyacinth Macaw

If you’re into birds, the hyacinth macaw might just be your pet. Coming from South America, these birds can grow to a whopping 3 to 4 pounds with wing spans reaching 4 feet. Keeping these as pets means you’ll need a big space and a sturdy cage since their strong beaks are known to be able to break their cages apart.

Chimpanzee

The most exotic pet of them all, chimps are prized by exotic pet lovers because they’re very similar to humans. Although endangered, some cities and countries will still let you keep them as pets. They’re very expensive and require a high upkeep. They act like a 3 year old child and are very affectionate to their owners. 

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Chimpanzees have favourite ‘tool set’ for hunting staple food of army ants

New research shows that chimpanzees search for the right tools from a key plant species when preparing to ‘ant dip’ - a crafty technique enabling them to feast on army ants without getting bitten. The study shows that army ants are not a poor substitute for preferred foods, but a staple part of chimpanzee diets.

West African chimpanzees will search far and wide to find Alchornea hirtella, a spindly shrub whose straight shoots provide the ideal tools to hunt aggressive army ants in an ingenious fashion, new research shows.

The plant provides the animals with two different types of tool, a thicker shoot for ‘digging’ and a more slender tool for ‘dipping’.

On locating an army ant colony, chimpanzees will dig into the nest with the first tool - aggravating the insects. They then dip the second tool into the nest, causing the angry ants to swarm up it. Once the slender shoot is covered in ants, the chimpanzees pull it out and wipe their fingers along it: scooping up the ants until they have a substantial handful that goes straight into the mouth in one deft motion.  

This technique - ‘ant dipping’ - was previously believed to be a last resort for the hungry apes, only exploited when the animal’s preferred food of fruit couldn’t be found. But the latest study, based on over ten years of data, shows that, in fact, army ants are a staple in the chimpanzee diet - eaten all year round regardless of available sources of fruit. Ants may be an important source of essential nutrients not available in the typical diet, say researchers, as well as a potential source of protein and fats.

The new research, published today in the American Journal of Primatology, was led by Dr Kathelijne Koops from the University of Cambridge’s Division of Biological Anthropology and Junior Research Fellow of Homerton College.

“Ant dipping is a remarkable feat of problem-solving on the part of chimpanzees,”  said Koops. “If they tried to gather ants from the ground with their hands, they would end up horribly bitten with very little to show for it. But by using a tool set, preying on these social insects may prove as nutritionally lucrative as hunting a small mammal - a solid chunk of protein.”

Koops points out that if Alchornea hirtella is nowhere to be found, chimps will fashion tools from other plants - but seemingly only after an exhaustive search for their preferred tool provider.   

Previous research has shown that chimpanzees will actually select longer tools for faster, more aggressive types of army ants. The average ‘dipping’ tool length across the study was 64 centimetres, but dipping tools got up to 76 cm.

The question for Koops is one of animal culture: how do chimpanzees acquire knowledge of such sophisticated techniques?  

“Scientists have been working on ruling out simple environmental and genetic explanations for group differences in behaviours, such as tool use, and the evidence is pointing strongly towards it being cultural,” said Koops. “They probably learn tool use behaviours from their mother and others in the group when they are young.”

The research for the ant-dipping study - which took place in Guinea’s Nimba mountains - proved challenging, as the chimpanzees were not habituated to people - so the team acted almost as archaeologists, studying ‘exploited’ ants nests to measure abandoned tool sets and “sifting through faeces for ants heads”.
Source: Here

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Chimp’s Genes Affect Their Intelligence

The closest cousins we have in the animal kingdom are chimps. They sort of look and behave like us, which is why a number of studies on our more “animalistic” side is done through chimps. A recent study on intelligence has showed how a chimp’s intelligence is actually affected by its genes. This new study can actually help add answers to the question of nature vs. nurture when it comes to intelligence.

By combining genetic analysis with a number of cognitive performance tests, researchers from the Georgia State University showed that some cognitive traits can actually be inherited by chimpanzees from their parents. Although not all traits are inheritable though but it’s a big discovering especially when we link our biological similarities to the apes.

How genetics plays a role in human intelligence has always been a long standing issue. Recently, it has been discovered that humans can pass their genes down to their offspring, but environmental and social factors such as socioeconomic status and education does pay a very big role in developing it. Basically the parent’s intelligence gene is just a seed and it’s up to the environment to develop an intelligent individual.

Since the question on genetics and intelligence on humans has been answered, researchers looked at if this also applies to nonhuman primates.  Chimps have been known to learn from their environment by mimicking older members of their social circle especially when it comes to survival. The study proves that they not only carry on physical traits from their parents. Genetics also has a say on the chimp’s intelligence and cognitive abilities, making them more complex and interesting.

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Chimps Best Humans at Game Theory

As tough as it is to admit, chimpanzees are just better at some things than humans are. Scientists have previously revealed that our closest ape cousins beat us handily at short-term memory skills.

Now, researchers report that chimps are also better than humans in simple contests based on game theory—a form of mathematics that deals with figuring out the best strategy when faced with a competitive situation. In the current study, published this week in Scientific Reports, chimpanzees at the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute in Japan played a hide-and-seek computer game (as in the photo above; video here). Undergraduate students and West African villagers also competed separately; no speaking was allowed. Both human and ape gamesters sat facing away from each other; their job was to predict their opponent’s move. Chimpanzee winners were rewarded with apple cubes, while humans were given money. Game theorists have determined that there’s a limit to how often the game can be won—even if both players are making the best possible strategic moves. That limit is called the Nash equilibrium, after the Nobel Prize–winning mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. The chimpanzees trumped the humans. They learned the game faster than their human counterparts and performed in line with the Nash equilibrium—hitting the theoretical benchmark. Chimpanzees, the researchers say, may be particularly good at the game because of their excellent short-term memories and talents for pattern recognition and rapid visual assessment. In the wild, the apes are also highly competitive, vying for dominance. Humans, on the other hand, are more cooperative.

Source: Here

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New large population of chimpanzees discovered

 (Phys.org) —With great ape populations in fast decline, it is crucial to obtain a global picture of their distribution and abundance, in order to channel and direct conservation activities to where they are most needed. Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands conducted hundreds of kilometers of chimpanzee surveys at multiple sites in the Central Uele region of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo and discovered a large, continuous population of Eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). The population in the remote Bili-Gangu forest was surveyed in 2005 with line transects and again in 2012, and appears to have remained stable. The total area surveyed, which encompasses about 50,000 square kilometers, is home to several thousands of chimpanzees and, according to the researchers, should be considered a priority site for conservation of the eastern subspecies.

Over the past two decades the African great apes have experienced a steep population decline, up to 90 percent in some regions. This has been a result of expanding agriculture in many African countries, as well as logging and the uncontrolled extraction of natural resources. Furthermore, chimpanzees often fall victim to poachers and are killed by human diseases. "In order to monitor chimpanzee population trends and to decide where to best allocate conservation resources, it is crucial that we develop the means to accurately map the species' distribution and make precise estimates of abundance", says Hjalmar Kuehl of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. In order to determine the chimpanzee population size in an area the researchers traverse it at regular intervals along parallel line transects. From the existing number of chimpanzee sleeping nests they can then estimate the total number of chimpanzees in this area.

Source: Here

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Chimpanzees, Orangutans Can Swim and Dive, Biologists Prove

For many years, zoos have used water moats to confine chimpanzees, gorillas or orangutans. When apes ventured into deep water, they often drowned. Some argued that this indicated a definitive difference between humans and apes: people enjoy the water and are able to learn to swim, while apes prefer to stay on dry land.

Renato Bender from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and Nicole Bender from the University of Bern have studied a chimpanzee and an orangutan in the United States.

Source: Here

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Chimpanzees and orangutans remember distant past events

Both species found where a useful tool was hidden three years after performing a task only four times.

They were also able to recall a unique event two weeks later.

The team say their work, published in Current Biology, shows memory for past events is not unique to humans.

Source: Here

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Pricy Pets for Sale

Does price really matter when it comes to have a ‘best friend’ at home? As much as there are cheap and inexpensive pets for sale, there are also pets with lavish prices and high price tags. You see, pricy pets obviously come with a very expensive price tag, in which not all pet lovers could easily buy even in their lifetime. How far can pet lovers splurge to have a one-of-a-kind pet?

Some can only wish and dream to have a $4000 kind of pet, but for others, the price is not a problem at all. If you consider cats, you can have a variety of expensive and luxurious ones from the Bengal Cat, the Savannah cat and the white lions. However, in this list you can have choice between primate pals that could remind you of the Planet of the Apes, of course, minus the ‘taking over the earth’ kind of thing.

Snow Macaque – these are small primates that can look small but can still grow as big as 2 and 4 feet in length, not considering the tail and would need a high and large enclosure of up to 30 feet squared. It is also known as the Japanese Macaque with grey fur and red face, palms, soles and bottoms. Very intelligent and clean, these known primates have the innate quality of washing their food before eating it. They live up to thirty years or more. The Snow Macaque is a threatened species and would therefore need a special permit or license to have one as a pet. Price range of this pricy pet is $3,500.00.

Squirrel Monkey – they are small and adorable and comes from the tropical forests of Central and South America. They grow up until about 2 pounds making them really cute and cuddly. They are also highly smart just like most primates. Squirrel Monkeys are very sociable, friendly, affectionate and easy to get
along with. Their unique style of marking territory is by squirting their urine onto their hands and feet, and leaving the smell wherever they go. Price range of this cute monkey is $4,000.00.

DeBrazza’s Monkey – an old-world monkey endemic to the wetlands of Central Africa, the DeBrazza’s Monkey has a very interesting look which mainly features a noble beard like a monkey professor. They also have pouches on their cheeks which serve as food storage during foraging. They also have a reddish brown back, an orange crescent-shaped mark on the forehead, has white eyelids and white muzzle. Male De Brazzas are larger that grow up to 15 pounds while females weigh about 10 pounds. Price range reaches to as high as $10,000.00

Chimpanzee – Well, who can resist a chimpanzee? Usually called a chimp, there are pros and cons in owning one. They can be so irresistible when they are babies but can be aggressive and dangerous when mature. Very intelligent and strong, chimpanzees can climb curtains, overturn tables and chairs, knockoff anyone easily when annoyed. Price range is a whopping $60,000-$65,000.00.

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Lion-eating Chimps

Lion-eating Chimps are among the many myths involving wild animals, with tales of a giant ape that’s big enough and strong enough to overpower a lion told and retold to be prowling about in the jungles of the Congo.

Daktari, a children’s series which aired on CBS from 1966 to 1969, included a cross-eyed lion and a chimpanzee as the series’ mainstay characters, with the two somewhat standing as a contradiction to the more violent relationship being told about in the Bondo Mystery Ape or the Bili, the reported 8-feet tall chimpanzee responsible for attacking lions and other established jungle predators.

Locals have long been talking about a giant chimpanzee/ape playing a part in effectively lessening the numbers of the lion population, with the said mystery creature bearing long flesh-ripping teeth which could readily maim and dismember any creature which comes its way.

Researchers and experts, however, have long dismissed the existence of a giant lion-eating chimpanzee, yet the stories of the Bondo Mystery Ape still continue to be one that is often heard.

Somewhat contradictory to what biologists and zoologists know about apes, the Bondo Mystery Ape is said to be a predator with a penchant for meat. Given that apes are known to be omnivores, the concept of a predatory ape sounds a bit far fetched, but is not altogether impossible.

Also, the said giant lion-eating chimpanzee is revealed to “howl at the Moon”, much like how wolves are known to do. In fact, the story of the mystery ape has been liked with werewolf stories, given the physical similarities described to be found in a giant ape and a werewolf.

As a mysterious creature, the lion-eating chimps of the Congo remain to be as elusive as Bigfoot, with different theories and stories also known to link them as “cousins”.

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Chimpanzees Wallpapers

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Famous Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees, sometimes called chimps for short, are common ape species from the genus Pan, originating from the forests around the Congo River. The mighty river also creates the boundary that sets apart the two species of chimpanzee, Pan paniscus or the Bonobo, which inhabits the forests on the eastern side of the Congo, and Pan troglodytes or the Common chimpanzee, which inhabits the forests on the western side, stretching out to Central Africa.

Today, many chimps have gone out of the wild and into the limelight, becoming famous as actors and pets.

Many movies have shown chimps as one of the main actors. In 1987, ProjectX (not to be confused with the crazy party flick), showed how humans tried to teach chimpanzees how to use sign language as a means of communication. The movie also showed many unethical practices used by animal research laboratories and testing centers.

Another famous chimp would be Michel Jackson’s pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. He was known to walk around Neverland Ranch, entertaining guests and accompanying Michael around. He was also very pampered by his master. Many animal rights activists saw Bubbles as a victim of animal abuse, protesting for the chimp to be taken out of the ranch and kept in a more suitable environment.

Another famous chimp that many saw on TV worldwide would be Sam. Sam is the chimpanzee who plays Bear, the chimp in the popular TV series BJ &The Bear. Sam actually became very close to his human co-star, Greg Evigan, and would even protect him during fight scenes.

Since they are very much like us, many experiments have been done on chimps to trace down our evolutionary roots. A common chimp basically has the mind of a 5 year old child, very curious and playful. Domesticated chimps interact with humans very well, but in the wild, they can get very aggressive.

 Chimpanzees Video

 

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Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees remain to be one of the most popular types of monkeys, often kept as pets and as celebrities in fairgrounds because of their highly adaptable natures. Often classified with the great apes Bonobo, Orangutan and Gorilla, an animated feature released in 2006, Curious George, told the tale of how a chimpanzee owner took care of his ape, a creature that is described to be highly intelligent and highly inquisitive.

The animated feature did well in describing chimpanzees, whose presence remains to be fascinating for people, regardless if they are kept in zoos or encountered in the wild.

Chimpanzees are often found in Africa, and can also be found in areas in Sudan, Tanzania, Angola and in Senegal. The Democratic Republic of Congo is slated to have the largest population of chimpanzees in the world, but their extinct status is also said to be in certain parts in the area.

Chimpanzees can grow as tall as up to 5 feet, with some weighing as much as 200 pounds. With long arms, the legs of a chimpanzee aren’t as long, and unlike certain primates, they do not have tails.

Chimpanzees are the most sociable of all the apes, an innate nature which has made them ideal apes when kept in captivity. In the wild, they are known to live in communities, with member numbers somewhere between 15 to 120 chimpanzees. In mixed chimpanzee communities, males rarely leave, leaving that role to females who are known to often migrate to other communities.

In the wild, a chimpanzee can live somewhere between 40 to 50 years, while chimpanzees kept in captivity are known to live between 50 to 60 years old. Since they are naturally tropical creatures, chimpanzees in the wild spend a lot of time in trees, and only come down when necessary.

Active during the day, they are incredibly sociable and adaptable with humans, but their care and upkeep isn’t exactly as “easy” as how keeping a cat or dog in the house is.

All in all, chimpanzees stand out as apes, well loved by people who are still fascinated by them time in and time out.

Chimpanzee Video

 

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