Reptiles are intelligent

[Catherine]

I have known all along that my snakes and lizards are smart(some of them). Now finally they are testing them according to what they are.

http://observationdeck.io9.com/reptiles-...1467629039

We wouldn't do so well on an IQ test that was in a language we do not know. Anyhow, snakes do not have hands. How can you judge their intelligence by a task that needs hands.

I think the real question should be "Do researchers have intelligence?".
It seems that some of them do.

[AnimalFamily]

"I think the real question should be "Do researchers have intelligence?".
It seems that some of them do."

........How refreshing

[Catherine]

I have been holding this article since the Forum went down. I think I would have worked to restore it just for the chance to post something about reptile intelligence. Reptiles are so misunderstood. Why don't researchers interview people who have reptiles. We could tell them stories.
But would they believe us?

[KynaMavies]

I watched this video on reptiles which has some good and interesting facts about some of them, http://youtu.be/MzrCp5-fq0o

[LPC]

Welcome to the forum, Kyna! Do please drop by the introductions section to say hello to our members.

Yes, Catherine, to find intelligence in its different forms we need to be looking for the right things and asking the right questions. I'm sure that you know more about reptile behaviour and intelligence than many animal researchers.

[Catherine]

Welcome Kyna. I watched the video and loved it. It was very factual and the film footage was a treat to watch.
Thank-you for posting it.

Quote:Yes, Catherine, to find intelligence in its different forms we need to be looking for the right things and asking the right questions. I'm sure that you know more about reptile behaviour and intelligence than many animal researchers.

I can even find a level of intelligence in an earthworm.
I actually live with reptiles so I am aware of what they know and don't know. I think of my reptiles as having "other" intelligence. They think differently. They are certainly more intelligent than people give them credit for.

[Cibach]

I think most animals are. They certainly survive in places and conditions that we would not, and use all their instinct and knowledge to do so, which we do not.
We, as humans, have a very narrow view of intelligence. I'm sure we miss out on a lot that way.

[Catherine]

Quote:I think most animals are. They certainly survive in places and conditions that we would not, and use all their instinct and knowledge to do so, which we do not.
We, as humans, have a very narrow view of intelligence. I'm sure we miss out on a lot that way.

If you ever doubt animal intelligence just try to catch a mouse that is living in your kitchen. They teach their children about mouse traps. They know all the best places to find food and where to store it.
We just better be glad that mice don't set traps for us. We tend not to notice things so we would walk right into a trap every time.

[Tobi]

(11-30-2013, 01:51 AM)AnimalFamily Wrote: "I think the real question should be "Do researchers have intelligence?".
It seems that some of them do."

........How refreshing

lol!

From what I've discovered, humans can be very mistaken about other animals' abilities, empathy, awareness, and intelligence. And I have no idea why!
I am hoping we shall learn more and more as time goes on.

[Catherine]

Quote:From what I've discovered, humans can be very mistaken about other animals' abilities, empathy, awareness, and intelligence. And I have no idea why!
I am hoping we shall learn more and more as time goes on.

Testing intelligence can be very hard. We don't even do it well for humans. I have been tested and the test was American based. I had to answer some questions as an American would if I wanted the points. The answer wasn't strictly true if I had wanted to answer according the where I live.
That being said, how can we hope to test the level of intelligence that a reptile has when we have no "language" in common. I think we are a long way from getting an accurate test, for now.