Have you ever wondered why some animals seem really dumb? There are actually quite a few creatures out there that don’t appear very bright or aware of their surroundings. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the seemingly dumbest animals and try to understand why they behave the way they do.
Ostrich
You’ve probably heard that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they’re scared. This isn’t exactly true – they don’t literally shove their heads into the sand. But they do lay their heads and necks flat on the ground. Why do they do this? Well, ostriches have very small brains. When they get frightened, they don’t think very well. Laying their head down helps them feel less visible to potential predators. Their vision isn’t great, so they probably assume if they can’t see the predator, then the predator can’t see them! Of course, their large feathered bodies are still visible, so this technique doesn’t really work. Silly ostrich!
Ostriches also have a habit of eating practically anything, including sand and pebbles. All that grit can make them sick, but they don’t seem to realise it’s bad for them. And mother ostriches are notorious for abandoning their eggs before they hatch. They don’t sit on the eggs long enough to incubate the chicks inside. Why are ostrich mums so neglectful? Experts think it’s because their tiny brains can’t remember where their nests are! So the baby ostriches don’t stand a chance. For such a big bird, the ostrich has some featherbrains!
Sloth
The sloth is one of the slowest moving animals on Earth. It lives most of its life hanging upside-down from tree branches in South and Central America. You might wonder how anything could survive being so slow. Well, sloths have adapted to their languid lifestyle. But they do some pretty foolish things too.
Sloths sometimes mistake their own limbs for tree branches. And they occasionally grab their own arm thinking it’s a branch, then fall from the tree! Their big claws are good for hanging on, but not great for quick thinking.
Sloths also spend most of their time sleeping and have very poor eyesight and hearing. In fact, they can sleep up to 20 hours a day! All that resting doesn’t leave much time for finding food or detecting predators. They survive mostly thanks to their slow metabolism and greenish fur that provides good camouflage in the rainforest canopy. The sloth is certainly a creature blessed with patience, but not too much brainpower!
Kakapo
This very rare parrot native to New Zealand may just be the dumbest bird on Earth. For starters, the kakapo has no ability to fly whatsoever. As the world’s only flightless parrot, it relies on its strong legs and waddling gait to get around. But despite lacking airborne skills, the kakapo often attempts to take to the sky, flapping its wings futilely as it plunges back to the ground. Not a good look!
The kakapo is also terribly inept when it comes to breeding. The males invest lots of energy in elaborately courting females with loud booming calls and digging arena-like bowls, but then they show little interest in mating. And the females only breed every 2-4 years, when fruit is abundant. When those sparse occasions finally occur, the kakapo still manages to bungle the job. Their eggs and chicks are highly vulnerable to predators since the kakapo lost most of its maternal instincts. What’s a bird that can’t fly or breed effectively to do? At least the kakapo has a lovely singing voice!
Lemmings
You may have heard that lemmings commit mass suicide by jumping off cliffs. But that’s actually a myth – it was staged for a documentary film in the 1950s and unfortunately gave lemmings a bad reputation. In reality, lemmings don’t deliberately run to their deaths. However, they do migrate in large groups and sometimes fall off cliffs or drown in bodies of water by accident.
So why do they migrate in such huge crowds? Well, lemmings have little ability to think independently. Their brains sort of turn off and they follow the crowd blindly. This herd mentality leads them to act in bizarre ways, like frantic mass migrations where some meet accidental demise. It’s not suicide, just foolish conformity. At least lemmings do have a good sense of direction and can swim well. But following the pack isn’t too bright for this little rodent.
Giant Panda
The giant panda is undoubtedly one of the cutest animals on the planet. Native to China, these cuddly bears are beloved worldwide. However, behind the fluffy exterior lies one of the dumbest bear species.
Pandas have relatively small brains for their size. They often roll and tumble clumsily in the forests, accidentally crushing small trees in the process. Their eyesight is poor and they startle easily. Pandas also spend up to 14 hours per day eating, yet they remain notoriously malnourished. That’s because they stubbornly consume only bamboo, which does not provide optimal nutrition. Despite their digestive trouble, pandas rarely seek out other foods. After evolving for millions of years on a diet of meat, pandas abruptly switched to bamboo-only. Foolish move! Additionally, pandas are solitary and very picky when choosing mates. Many seem disinterested in breeding, despite their dwindling population. Who knew such an iconic animal could be so dumb? But we love pandas anyway for their endearingly ditzy personalities.
Killdeer
The killdeer is a plover bird found in North America known for its dramatic “broken wing” display. When a predator approaches their ground nest, killdeer parents will pretend to have an injured wing, flapping around helplessly to lure the predator away. Clever tactic, right?
Well, sometimes the killdeer takes it too far. They will feign a broken wing even when no chicks are present. And the parents often continue the distracting behavior long after the babies are gone, screaming in apparent agony. Their freakishly believable act can last up to an hour per sitting! Even experienced birders can be fooled by their stunt. While admirably committed to the bit, killdeers do seem to get excessive with their injured bird routine. Less can be more in the art of deception! Still, you can’t fault the killdeer’s phenomenal acting skills. Bravo.
Koala
With their endearing teddy bear-like appearance and famously chill lifestyle, koalas seem like laidback creatures enjoying the good life. But don’t let that fool you – koalas are actually pretty foolish creatures.
Koalas eat mainly eucalyptus leaves, which provide limited nutrients and are highly toxic. The leaves contain cyanide yet koalas munch away happily. They rarely drink water, getting most of their hydration from the leaves, which causes kidney damage. Koalas also sleep up to 18-22 hours per day to conserve energy since their diet is so poor. Despite all that sleep, they move very slowly due to the minimal nutrition.
In addition, koalas have sticky pouches to carry their young, but often struggle figuring out how to mate and give birth properly. Many baby koalas are lost due to their mothers’ birthing confusion. For a tree-dwelling animal, koalas sure don’t seem to have branched out intellectually! Oh well, we love them all the same.
Cane Toad
Native to Central and South America, the cane toad is a squat, hefty amphibian now found in many tropical regions. They were introduced to Australia in the 1930s in an attempt to control the cane beetle, another agricultural pest. Bad idea – the cane toad population exploded and is now considered a hugely destructive invasive species. But can we really blame the toad for that? It’s just doing its thing, after all.
Well, yes, because cane toads are kind of dumb creatures. For one, they are voracious eaters who consume anything and everything they can fit in their mouths. That includes insects, small mammals, other frogs – even inedible objects if they look vaguely food-like. However, the toads are toxic, so animals who eat them often die. Silly toads don’t seem to realize they are unwanted pests! Cane toads also don’t get the hint when confrontations turn dangerous. Typically, they just stand still rather than fleeing predators. Not the most self-preserving move. At least they have big poison glands as a defense mechanism! But the cane toad could use a bit more smarts to improve its reputation.
Flamingos
With their spindly legs and vibrant pink feathers, flamingos are some of the most striking birds around. You’ll find these leggy water birds inhabiting salty and alkaline lakes across the Americas, Africa, and Eurasia. But don’t let their graceful beauty fool you – flamingos have some downright foolish habits.
For starters, they often gather in enormous crowded groups that trample their own eggs and crush their chicks! Not very family-friendly. Flamingos also sleep standing on one leg, which causes them to easily lose balance and topple over. And while parading around in shallow water, they sometimes get disoriented and march in endless loops. Who’s leading this parade anyway?
The birds get their pink color from eating brine shrimp and algae that contain pigments called carotenoids. If they don’t get enough in their diet, they’ll actually turn whitish. Silly birds could use some color coordination skills! And here’s the kicker – flamingos will pretend to mate with each other same-sex pairings, not realizing their mistake. Clueless birds, but delightful to watch!
Turkey
Every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas, turkey becomes the star of the dinner table in many parts of the world. However, we only have these big birds to feast on because they are so dumb. Turkeys are naturally social and form flocks, which makes them easier to raise on farms.
Domestic turkeys are simply not the brightest creatures. They have poor vision yet continue to charge forward blindly, often injuring themselves. They can also die from heart attacks brought on by stress, or by drowning if left out in the rain. Wild turkeys aren’t much smarter, getting distracted and caught off guard easily. And male turkeys on farms will try mating with a human’s head if they mistake it for a female turkey!
Turkeys do have good memories and can recognize distinct voices and faces. But overall, they lack common sense and survival skills. Their foolishness makes them set up to be the main course – lucky us! Gobble on, turkey.