100 Smartest Animals Ranked

Dolphin

Dolphins combine communication, play, memory, and social learning at a very high level.

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees stay near the top because they pair hard-edged manipulation with sophisticated group behavior.

Orca

Orcas convert shared memory and coordinated hunting into one of the ocean's strongest intelligence profiles.

Octopus

Octopus is one of the best solitary problem-solving animals in the world.

Raven

Ravens repeatedly appear in advanced puzzle and planning discussions for a reason.

Crow

Crows are elite real-world adapters, especially in human-modified environments.

Elephant

Elephants keep a place near the top because memory, sociality, and environmental reading all run deep in the species.

Gorilla

Gorilla intelligence is less flashy than some species above it, but still substantial and socially rich.

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish turns perception and body-display control into one of the most impressive adaptive systems in the sea.

Wolf

Wolf belongs because social hunting and pressure management still count as serious cognition.

White-faced Capuchin

87/100 intelligence profile. White-faced Capuchin is a primate known for clever grasping hands, strong social teamwork, and forest problem-solving behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Woolly Monkey

86/100 intelligence profile. Woolly Monkey is a primate known for prehensile tail like an extra hand, soft thick fur, and large social canopy groups, which places it in C tier for this list.

Red-shanked Douc

83/100 intelligence profile. Red-shanked Douc is a primate known for bright multi-colored fur, leaf-eating monkey diet, and high-canopy social life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Ring-tailed Lemur

83/100 intelligence profile. Ring-tailed lemurs are ground-using Malagasy primates recognized for striped tails, social groups, and heavy reliance on scent and sunning behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Mandrill

83/100 intelligence profile. Mandrill is a primate known for bright blue-and-red face, powerful forest-ground body, and complex troop social life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Bonobo

80/100 intelligence profile. Bonobo is a primate known for slender ape body, high social intelligence, and peace-making group behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Proboscis Monkey

80/100 intelligence profile. Proboscis monkeys are riverine Bornean primates famous for large noses, strong swimming ability, and social groups tied to mangroves and lowland forest edges, which places it in C tier for this list.

Western Lowland Gorilla

79/100 intelligence profile. The western lowland gorilla is a large forest ape recognized by its great strength, dark fur, and social family groups, which places it in C tier for this list.

Japanese Macaque

79/100 intelligence profile. Japanese Macaque is a primate known for thick seasonal coat, troop social reading, and cold-island adaptability, which places it in C tier for this list.

Naked Mole-rat

69/100 intelligence profile. Naked Mole-rat is a mammal known for hairless wrinkled body, protruding digging incisors, and eusocial tunnel-colony life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Meerkat

69/100 intelligence profile. Meerkats are small desert mongooses known for upright vigilance, social digging, and cooperative group living in open dry habitats, which places it in C tier for this list.

Orangutan

68/100 intelligence profile. Orangutans are large arboreal apes famous for deliberate movement, long learning periods, and strong dependence on complex tropical forest canopies, which places it in C tier for this list.

Scarlet Macaw

68/100 intelligence profile. The scarlet macaw is a large brilliantly colored parrot known for loud social flight, strong bill power, and canopy foraging in Neotropical forests, which places it in C tier for this list.

Boxer Crab

68/100 intelligence profile. Boxer crabs are small reef crabs famous for carrying tiny sea anemones in their claws, turning borrowed stinging partners into defensive and feeding tools, which places it in C tier for this list.

Spotted Hyena

68/100 intelligence profile. Spotted hyenas are powerful social carnivores with strong jaws, efficient endurance, and complex clan behavior that extends far beyond simple scavenging, which places it in C tier for this list.

Prairie Dog

68/100 intelligence profile. The prairie dog is a social burrowing rodent that builds colonies, raises alarms, and shapes grassland life above and below ground, which places it in C tier for this list.

North American Raccoon

68/100 intelligence profile. The North American raccoon is a clever omnivore known for masked faces, nimble paws, and success in both wild and urban habitats, which places it in C tier for this list.

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

67/100 intelligence profile. Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is a mammal known for blue face with upturned nose, thick cold-mountain fur, and large social troop behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Kea

67/100 intelligence profile. Kea is a bird known for clever mountain parrot mind, curved probing bill, and snow-country curiosity, which places it in C tier for this list.

Greater Flamingo

67/100 intelligence profile. The greater flamingo is a tall filter-feeding wader recognized for pink-white plumage, long legs, and dense social flocks in saline wetlands, which places it in C tier for this list.

Zebra Finch

67/100 intelligence profile. Zebra Finch is a bird known for barred tail and chest patterning, bright orange beak, and constant social chirping, which places it in C tier for this list.

Lion

66/100 intelligence profile. Lions are social big cats recognized for pride living, coordinated hunts, and heavy-bodied strength on open African landscapes and a small remnant Asian range, which places it in C tier for this list.

Green Jay

66/100 intelligence profile. Green Jay is a bird known for green-blue-yellow patchwork plumage, bold social intelligence, and fruit-and-insect woodland foraging, which places it in C tier for this list.

Alpaca

66/100 intelligence profile. The alpaca is a small camelid bred for soft fiber, gentle herd behavior, and cool high-elevation living, which places it in C tier for this list.

Spectral Tarsier

65/100 intelligence profile. Spectral Tarsier is a primate known for enormous night-adapted eyes, vertical leaping body, and insect-catching precision, which places it in C tier for this list.

Burrowing Parrot

65/100 intelligence profile. Burrowing Parrot is a bird known for cliff-tunneling nest habit, long-distance flock flight, and strong social chatter, which places it in C tier for this list.

Drill

64/100 intelligence profile. Drill is a primate known for powerful dark body, bold face markings, and large troop forest life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Bald Uakari

64/100 intelligence profile. Bald Uakari is a primate known for bright red bare face, short tail, and flooded-forest troop life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Sea Otter

64/100 intelligence profile. The sea otter is a coastal marine mammal recognized by dense fur, floating behavior, and tool use while eating shellfish, which places it in C tier for this list.

Squirrel Monkey

64/100 intelligence profile. Squirrel Monkey is a primate known for tiny fast canopy body, large group movement, and alert fruit-and-insect foraging, which places it in C tier for this list.

Degu

64/100 intelligence profile. Degu is a mammal known for whiskered social rodent body, brush-tipped tail, and day-active burrow colony life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Maine Coon Cat

63/100 intelligence profile. The Maine Coon is a large domestic cat breed known for its robust frame, tufted ears, thick tail, and adaptable, social temperament, which places it in C tier for this list.

Pigeon

63/100 intelligence profile. Pigeon is a bird known for fast homing flight memory, compact urban-adapted body, and strong flock navigation behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Llama

63/100 intelligence profile. The llama is a South American camelid known for its long neck, woolly coat, and sure-footed movement in high landscapes, which places it in C tier for this list.

African Grey Parrot

62/100 intelligence profile. The African grey parrot is a highly intelligent parrot known for gray plumage, red tail, and advanced vocal learning, which places it in C tier for this list.

Black Vulture

62/100 intelligence profile. Black Vulture is a bird known for dark broad-winged soaring, bare black scavenger head, and social roosting and carcass-search behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Pig

62/100 intelligence profile. Pig is a mammal known for sensitive rooting snout, social learning behavior, and adaptable omnivore feeding, which places it in C tier for this list.

Emperor Tamarin

61/100 intelligence profile. Emperor Tamarin is a primate known for long white mustache, tiny branch-running body, and cooperative family care, which places it in C tier for this list.

Coati

61/100 intelligence profile. Coati is a mammal known for long flexible nose, ringed balancing tail, and social daytime foraging, which places it in C tier for this list.

Goose

61/100 intelligence profile. Goose is a bird known for long-distance migratory v-form flight, strong social call coordination, and grazing wetland adaptation, which places it in C tier for this list.

Common Raven

61/100 intelligence profile. The common raven is a large intelligent black bird known for problem-solving, deep calls, and acrobatic flight, which places it in C tier for this list.

Sumatran Orangutan

60/100 intelligence profile. Sumatran Orangutan is a primate known for slimmer canopy build, long flexible reach, and fine-scale branch navigation, which places it in C tier for this list.

Beluga Whale

60/100 intelligence profile. The beluga whale is a small Arctic whale known for its white body, flexible neck, and wide range of social sounds, which places it in C tier for this list.

Coyote

60/100 intelligence profile. Coyote is a mammal known for narrow canid muzzle, adaptable edge-habitat movement, and high-pitched social calls, which places it in C tier for this list.

Golden Lion Tamarin

59/100 intelligence profile. Golden Lion Tamarin is a primate known for bright orange mane-like fur, tiny agile tree body, and family-group canopy life, which places it in C tier for this list.

African Wild Dog

59/100 intelligence profile. The African wild dog is a highly social carnivore with distinctive patchy coat patterns and cooperative pack behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Mantled Howler Monkey

59/100 intelligence profile. Mantled Howler Monkey is a primate known for deep carrying roar, leaf-eating forest lifestyle, and slow deliberate canopy travel, which places it in C tier for this list.

Tapanuli Orangutan

58/100 intelligence profile. Tapanuli Orangutan is a primate known for shaggy mountain coat, isolated forest adaptation, and careful branch and ridge travel, which places it in C tier for this list.

Bornean Orangutan

58/100 intelligence profile. Bornean Orangutan is a primate known for heavy arboreal frame, long grasping arms, and deliberate canopy travel, which places it in C tier for this list.

Aye-aye

58/100 intelligence profile. The aye-aye is a rare Madagascan primate known for huge ears, ever-growing teeth, and a long thin middle finger used to find food in wood, which places it in C tier for this list.

Pygmy Slow Loris

58/100 intelligence profile. Pygmy Slow Loris is a primate known for huge night-looking eyes, very slow branch movement, and strong gripping hands, which places it in C tier for this list.

Gelada

58/100 intelligence profile. Gelada is a primate known for grass-eating monkey diet, cliffside troop living, and red chest patch, which places it in C tier for this list.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

58/100 intelligence profile. The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a loud white parrot known for its yellow crest, intelligence, and strong social flocks, which places it in C tier for this list.

Black-and-white Colobus

57/100 intelligence profile. Black-and-white Colobus is a primate known for dramatic black-and-white coat, high canopy leaf feeding, and tail used for balance in leaps, which places it in C tier for this list.

Senegal Bushbaby

57/100 intelligence profile. Senegal Bushbaby is a primate known for huge night-adapted eyes, spring-like leaping legs, and tree-gum and insect feeding, which places it in C tier for this list.

Siamang

56/100 intelligence profile. Siamang is a primate known for swinging brachiation through canopy, inflatable throat sac, and paired duet calling, which places it in C tier for this list.

Pygmy Marmoset

55/100 intelligence profile. Pygmy Marmoset is a mammal known for tiny fingertip-sized primate body, long ringed tail, and tree-sap gouging behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Patas Monkey

55/100 intelligence profile. Patas Monkey is a primate known for long running legs, open-savannah monkey lifestyle, and fast ground escape, which places it in C tier for this list.

Clown Loach

51/100 intelligence profile. Clown Loach is a fish known for orange body with bold black bands, downturned barbels, and social river-bottom shoaling, which places it in C tier for this list.

Termite

50/100 intelligence profile. Termites are social insects that process plant material, build climate-regulating mounds, and quietly reshape soil and nutrient systems, which places it in C tier for this list.

Honey Bee

48/100 intelligence profile. Honey bees are social pollinators that collect nectar and pollen, coordinate foraging through shared signals, and help connect flowering plants to wider food systems, which places it in C tier for this list.

Earless Monitor Lizard

47/100 intelligence profile. Earless Monitor Lizard is a reptile known for bead-scaled dark brown body, small external-earless head, and secretive streamside burrowing, which places it in C tier for this list.

Addax

47/100 intelligence profile. Addax is a mammal known for pale desert coat, wide spreading hooves, and slow-energy dryland survival, which places it in C tier for this list.

Red Wolf

47/100 intelligence profile. Red Wolf is a mammal known for slim reddish canid frame, long-legged wetland stride, and pair-and-pack territory calling, which places it in C tier for this list.

Baird's Tapir

47/100 intelligence profile. Baird's Tapir is a mammal known for short trunk-like nose, forest seed-spreading habit, and strong swimming ability, which places it in C tier for this list.

Malayan Tapir

47/100 intelligence profile. The Malayan tapir is a large nocturnal forest browser with a distinctive black-and-white body pattern, flexible snout, and dependence on wet tropical cover, which places it in C tier for this list.

Coquerel's Sifaka

47/100 intelligence profile. Coquerel's Sifaka is a mammal known for sideways ground bounding, long balancing tail, and powerful vertical leaps, which places it in C tier for this list.

Victoria Crowned Pigeon

47/100 intelligence profile. Victoria Crowned Pigeon is a bird known for huge lace-like blue crest, large ground-walking pigeon body, and deep forest floor life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Markhor

47/100 intelligence profile. Markhor is a mammal known for spiraling corkscrew horns, climbing skill on steep rock, and sure-footed mountain balance, which places it in C tier for this list.

Long-nosed Potoroo

47/100 intelligence profile. Long-nosed Potoroo is a mammal known for pointed scenting snout, strong hind-leg hopping, and fungus-digging forest foraging, which places it in C tier for this list.

Sloth Bear

47/100 intelligence profile. The sloth bear is a shaggy bear of South Asia known for insect feeding, a pale chest mark, and strong digging abilities, which places it in C tier for this list.

Blue Whale

47/100 intelligence profile. Blue Whale is a marine mammal known for largest body on earth, filter-feeding on tiny prey, and long-distance ocean movement, which places it in C tier for this list.

Wolverine

47/100 intelligence profile. Wolverines are powerful northern mustelids known for stamina, scavenging skill, and the ability to travel huge snowy ranges with little support, which places it in C tier for this list.

Goitered Gazelle

47/100 intelligence profile. Goitered Gazelle is a mammal known for light tan desert coat, slender ringed horns, and fast open-steppe sprinting, which places it in C tier for this list.

Himalayan Goral

47/100 intelligence profile. Himalayan Goral is a mammal known for compact gray mountain body, short backward horns, and nimble rock-slope movement, which places it in C tier for this list.

Sitatunga

47/100 intelligence profile. Sitatunga is a mammal known for elongated splayed hooves, shaggy water-resistant coat, and reedbed hiding behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Ocelot

47/100 intelligence profile. The ocelot is a beautifully patterned cat of the Americas known for rosettes, stealth, and dense-cover hunting, which places it in C tier for this list.

Aardvark

47/100 intelligence profile. The aardvark is a nocturnal African mammal known for its long snout, strong digging claws, and ant-and-termite diet, which places it in C tier for this list.

Red Kite

47/100 intelligence profile. Red Kite is a bird of prey known for forked tail, russet body sheen, and effortless scavenging and mouse-hunting glide, which places it in C tier for this list.

Northern Tamandua

47/100 intelligence profile. Northern Tamandua is a mammal known for curved claws for nest opening, long sticky tongue, and tree-and-ground termite feeding, which places it in C tier for this list.

Great Gray Owl

47/100 intelligence profile. Great Gray Owl is a bird of prey known for huge facial disc, silent forest flight, and deep-snow listening hunt, which places it in C tier for this list.

European Hedgehog

47/100 intelligence profile. The European hedgehog is a small nocturnal mammal covered in spines and known for curling into a defensive ball, which places it in C tier for this list.

Vicuna

47/100 intelligence profile. Vicuna is a mammal known for fine high-altitude coat, slender mountain build, and cold plateau endurance, which places it in C tier for this list.

Klipspringer

47/100 intelligence profile. Klipspringer is a mammal known for rubbery cliff-gripping hooves, compact rock-hopping body, and paired lookout behavior, which places it in C tier for this list.

Hog Badger

47/100 intelligence profile. Hog Badger is a mammal known for piglike digging snout, heavy low-set body, and powerful clawed foraging, which places it in C tier for this list.

American Bison

47/100 intelligence profile. The American bison is a huge grassland grazer recognized by its massive front end, shaggy head, and prairie herd life, which places it in C tier for this list.

Otter

47/100 intelligence profile. Otter is a mammal known for elongated flexible body, dense water-shedding fur, and playful but efficient swimming, which places it in C tier for this list.

Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk

47/100 intelligence profile. Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk is a mammal known for pig-like rooting snout, bold black-and-white coat, and chemical defense spray, which places it in C tier for this list.

Common Gundi

47/100 intelligence profile. Common Gundi is a mammal known for flattened rock-hugging body, comb-like grooming claws, and communal sun-basking, which places it in C tier for this list.

Springhare

47/100 intelligence profile. Springhare is a mammal known for kangaroo-like hopping legs, big reflective night eyes, and burrow-based open-ground life, which places it in C tier for this list.