The 10 Smartest Animals

For years scientists have been researching and testing animal intelligence. They have come to various conclusions based on their findings. Just because an animal can't read or speak does not mean that it cannot think.

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Sheep, for instance, have very good memories and they have shown to display emotions by portraying different facial expressions, while rats are highly sociable and bond easily with their human guardians.

In no specific order, these are the 10 smartest animals.

Chimpanzees are well-known for their intelligence. It is said they can attain the intelligence levels of a 3-year-old child. According to research, they can play with objects, learn words and even seem to mourn the deaths of their friends. But similar to humans, their cognitive abilities vary from one animal to the next.

Dolphins have shown their intelligence by their playfulness. They have been known to play games; some even play catch with one another, throwing fish back and forth with no intension of eating it. Many dolphin brains are actually larger than human brains.

Bigger than chimpanzees, are these very close human relatives – Gorillas. They have shown to have the ability to use tools when needed; using sticks or branches to perform simple tasks, according to gorillas-world.com. There was one time a gorilla was actually seen introducing a long stick into the water to check its depth.

Sheep have very good memories; they use a similar neural process and part of the brain that humans use to remember things. They also have shown to display emotions by portraying different facial expression and they self-medicate by eating specific plants that can cure them.

With the largest brain of any land animal, and three times as many neurons as humans, elephants have proven to be very smart creatures. Research has shown that elephants can actually distinguish the difference between human gender, age and ethnicity, just by the sound of someone's voice. They also have great memories, show emotions and understand human body language.

Parrots have great problem-solving skills and unique adaptability abilities. They have shown to be resourceful by using their beak as a tool to open seeds or nuts.

Scientists in France and the United States tested baboons in laboratory experiments. They concluded that baboons are capable of analogical judgement. According to CBSNEWS, "the kind of 'this-is-to-that' comparisons that psychologists say is fundamental to reasoning."

Believe it or not, pigs are actually really smart animals. They have a great long-term memory; they can tell between which pigs they know and which pigs are strangers; and they can even be socially manipulative with other pigs. They are also very playful. Visit one of the most incredible adventure destinations for animal lovers – the Bahamas – for your chance to swim and play with them.

Although small, these animals are very smart and have excellent memories. They are highly sociable, love their own families and bond easily with their human guardians, according to peta.org. They like to return the same affection that is given to them – "many rats will even 'groom' a human companion's hand and would appreciate a massage, a scratch behind the ears, or even a tickle in return."

Research has shown that bees have incredible memories; their brains have many of the same traits as the human brain. They can learn colors, smells and be trained to fly through complicated mazes. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, "one experiment showed the bees can be trained to differentiate between up to four separate landmarks before becoming confused."