The Intelligent Pig
The Smartest Domestic Animal in The World
How is intelligence measured? After all, even people can be intelligent or extraordinary in many ways. Some excel at math, and some are gifted linguists. Others fail in the academic arena entirely, and shine as masterful artists. One way to measure intelligence is based on the ability to solve problems.
The associations people have made with the word, ‘pig’, are less than glamorous. In fact, there are downright negative connotations attached to the word, which is why we use it to insult people. But, let’s put aside our preconceived ideas of what we think a pig is, let’s take a look at who they really are.
Pigs have been touted as the smartest, and the cleanest domestic animals in the world. The phrases, “sweat like a pig” or “smell like a pig”, may come to mind. But, consider that pigs don’t have sweat glands, and therefore, can’t sweat (except on the very ends of their snouts). The lack of sweat glands means lack of odor - affording no credibility to either statement.
To compensate for the lack of a natural way to bring their body temperature down, pigs seek out water or mud. Pigs rolling in mud may look uncouth, but they are actually being quite smart. The mud not only keeps them cool, but keeps biting pests at bay, and prevents sunburn.
As Smart as the Primates
Intelligence research was done with pigs in the 1990s. One of the experiments was to train the pigs to move the cursor on a video screen with their snouts. When the pigs used the cursors again, they were able to distinguish between the scribbles they already knew, and the scribbles they were seeing for the first time. The pigs learned this skill as fast as the chimpanzees.
All species of pig are smarter than dogs, and capable of abstract representation. “They can hold an icon in their mind, and remember it at a later date,” says Professor Stanley Curtis of Penn State University, who discovered that pigs dominate at video games with joy sticks. Curtis goes on to say, “Pigs are able to focus with an intensity I have never seen in a chimp.”
Smarter Than a Three-Year-Old Child
Other tests were done where the pigs were taught the meaning of simple words and phrases. Several years later, the instructions were repeated, and the pigs still remembered what to do. The same thing was done with different objects placed in front of them. They were taught to jump over, sit by, or retrieve the item. Three years later, they could distinguish between the items.
The studies also showed:
- Pigs lead complex social lives that behaviorists once believed to be true only of primates.
- Mother pigs sing to their piglets while they are nursing.
- They excel at video games that would be hard for a young child, and sometimes better than the primates.
- Pigs dream.
- Pigs have a good sense of direction, and can find their way home from long distances.
- They learn from watching one another.
- Pigs outsmart each other. One will often follow another pig to food before grabbing it away from him, and the pig who was tricked will change behaviors to reduce how many times it is tricked.
In Good Company
Pigs share the smart scene with other amazing animals. Each with their own specialty, their own aptitude. But, as as far as domestic animals go, the pigs have it.
Other animals of great intellect are:
- The great apes, and chimps
- Whales
- Dolphins
- Elephants
- Parrots
- Octopus
- Dogs
- Cats
- Squirrels
There isn't an exact formula for deciphering superior intelligence. Intelligence in animals, as in humans, is a matter of arenas and degrees. Still, we are a curious species, and the comparisons remain interesting.
Related Reading
Want to know more about pigs? For those interested in a pig companion see Meet The Kune Kune and How To Care For A Pot Bellied Pig .
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