Animal IQ

The humble dog has been adapting and evolving alongside humanity since before we learned agriculture and how to make our own tools. This long history means dogs are incredible at human-canine interaction but is there a downside to this all human-focused adaptation? Hosts Natalia Borrego and Trace Dominguez talk to Laurie Santos, Director of the Yale Cognition Center, to find out.

Clever, sly, and sneaky are words you might use to describe foxes but are they smart? Find out in the latest episode of Animal IQ from NATURE and PBS Digital Studios. Hosts Trace Dominguez and Dr. Natalia Borrego talk to David and Amy Bassett about fox domestication and intelligence over on PBS Terra.

Penguins are fascinating creatures, not just because of their physical characteristics. They’re amazing at creating mental maps, can recognize each other’s calls, and hunt in a coordinated way. A common misconception about penguins is that they live at the poles, but they’re really only in the Southern Hemisphere. There are species in Antarctica, of course, but also on the southern tip of Africa, South America, and Australia and New Zealand! Penguins might not be the smartest animal on our list, but they’re pretty incredible in their own way.

African elephants are known to recognize groups of humans, to test electric fences with their tusks to avoid injury, and (of course) can remember paths to resources passed down to them decades earlier. But, can elephants cooperate to solve a puzzle? How good are they at understanding themselves and their place in the savannah? What does an elephant really know?

Rats are study subjects, ecosystem scavengers, experimental analogs for human beings, and safe drivers…?

Otters are super cute little gymnastic socialites. Are they intelligent or just specialists?

Sorry to ruin your childhood, but lion society doesn’t have a king. What can we learn about this big cat’s intelligence?

Dolphins are playful and intelligent sea creatures. Humans are enamored with their smarts. We all know they can jump through hoops, but just how much brain power do dolphins have? Can they recognize friends from strangers? Comprehend basic mathematics? Surely they can’t use a giant underwater touchscreen… can they? (!hey can!) What can’t dolphins do? You’ll have to tune in to Animal IQ to find out! This week Natalia called Dr Diana Riess a dolphin intelligence expert from Hunter College and Trace called Ph.D student Diana Rocha of the World Cetacean Alliance and Dolphin Encountours to learn more about these precocious porpoises.