As a human being that needs glasses to see the accepted norm of 20/20, I’ve always been interested in how our visual perspective of the world varies so greatly. Even among humans there are color discrepancies and a difference in our ability to focus.
I love thinking about how animals see the world and all the things our human eyes aren’t able to perceive. Our ingenuity through science and technology leads to gadgets that give us the ability to comprehend what it looks like to see these wavelengths.
Using that information it is possible to hypothesize the reasons for these unique animal abilities.
These short documentaries by Matthew Killip feature people who work with monkeys and apes around the world. Some work partnerships between man and monkey bring them closer together by employing the intelligence of our ape cousins.
It is widely known that the interesting-ness of an animal is proportionate to how difficult it is to figure out where its butthole is. The octopus therefore is very interesting.
True Facts About The CuttleFish
Cuttlefish are the kings of camouflage and their mating begins when the male delicately grabs the female by her face and inserts another specialized tentacle into an opening near her mouth, which hopefully is not her nose.
Cephalopods, the class of mollusks which scientists classify octopuses, squid, cuttlefish and nautiluses, can change color faster than a chameleon. They can also change texture and body shape, and, and if those camouflage techniques don’t work, they can still “disappear” in a cloud of ink, which they use as a smoke-screen or decoy.
Cephalopods are also fascinating because they have three hearts that pump blue blood and are thought to be the most intelligent of invertebrates. – Dr. Wood, Cephalopod Researcher
Nature is up to its amazing feats once again. The ant colony featured in this video is so big that it would be the equivalent of building the great wall of china.
Now I can’t speak on the method of excavation, concrete dumped into the colony then excavated, but I do hope that the majority of the colony moved on before the concrete came down to freeze this epic structure in time.
This giant ant hill is a testament to the complexity of life on this planet, all living things continue to grow and evolve creating things that we have never seen before, there is tons of excitement left in what we don’t know.
Kanzi the bonobo lives in America and has learned how to build a fire, light it using matches and toast marshmallows on it. The behavior shows how similar we are to our primate family and is another great example of animal intelligence.
In another clip from BBC’s Monkey Planet, we get a glimpse of what monkeys do for fun:
Dive Bombing Macaques
Rhesus macaques in Jaipur, India, dive bomb off a lamp post into a foot of water to have fun, implying that monkeys can be capable of feelings.
Dolphins are said to share the human traits of bravery, jealousy and even a sense of humor. But it seems they share some vices as well.
Scientists were amazed at footage of the mammals apparently getting ‘high’ with the help of a toxic puffer fish.
In an extraordinary scene filmed for an upcoming BBC show called Dolphins: Spy in the Pod, by wildlife filmmaker John Downer, the dolphins are shown gently passing the fish between them.
Experts believe the creatures are using the toxins, which emerge from the puffer fish as part of its defense mechanism, for their own enjoyment.
They nudge the fish with their snouts, and as the toxin is released into the water, they seem to lapse into a trance-like state.
At one point the dolphins are seen floating just underneath the water’s surface, apparently mesmerized by their own reflections.
Toxic trance: The footage, captured in the TV series Dolphins: Spy in the Pod, shows the dolphins deliberately putting the puffer fish in their mouths (left) and afterward, appearing intoxicated hanging near the surface (right)
The dolphins were filmed gently playing with the puffer, passing it between each other for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, unlike the fish they had caught as prey which were swiftly torn apart.
Mr. Downer designed underwater cameras disguised as squid, tuna and even other dolphins.
Fun-loving fish: The dolphins were filmed watching their reflections just below the surface in the series which used cameras disguised as sea creatures including a dolphin to get a glimpse of the mysterious life of the mammal
Zoologist and series producer Rob Pilley said that it was the first time dolphins had been filmed behaving this way.
We saw the dolphins handle the puffers with kid gloves, very gently and delicately like they were almost milking them to not upset the fish too much or kill it.
As a result the fish released various toxins as a defense.
The dolphins then seemed to be mesmerized.
He insisted that the scene couldn’t have been a one-off encounter, saying: “The dolphins were specifically going for the puffers and deliberately handling them with care.”
HD GoPro cameras are lightweight and durable enough to mount on almost anything. Their flexibility allows them to capture amazing scenes of animal behavior and perspective.
Flying Eagle Point of View – GoPro
Lion Hug – GoPro
The Lion Whisperer, Kevin Richardson has a good morning greeting with his pride of lions.
Swimming with Dolphins – GoPro
Mark Peters and friends encounter an unexpected surprise while albacore fishing off the coast of Santa Cruz, CA – Pacific White Sided Dolphins playfully hitch a ride behind their fishing boat.
Snow Monkey Hot Tub – GoPro
Art Gimbel stopped by the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan to hang out with the hot tubbin’ monkeys. Thanks, Art!
Swimming with a Great White Shark – GoPro
Join freediver Ocean Ramsey as she shares a quiet moment with a Great White Shark
Bishop and the Homies – GoPro
Bishop, the great dane, has a fun day playing in the dog park. GoPro is proud to present our first 100% user shot and edited video! A huge thanks to Kelsey Wynns and Bishop for sharing such a fun afternoon with us! Woof!
Diving with Sea Lions – GoPro
Sam Stewart and Kelly Smith dive with curious Sea Lions in South Australia.
The gap between animal and human intelligence is closing. Where we once believed that animals and humans were not comparable, we are now learning that isn’t necessarily the case.
This infographic tells the story of animal intelligence and the human like traits that they exhibit.
Animal Intelligence and Human Connection Infographic
Animal Intelligence Videos
Crow Problem Solves and Uses Tools
Crow Uses Physics to Crack an Acorn and Caution When Crossing
Chimpanzees are our closest relatives but dogs have figured out human behavior better than our primate cousins.
This video gallery shows awesome examples of the communication and emotional intelligence that dogs use to cooperate with a different species.
Empathy Jailbreak
Strange things were happening at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home when dogs were found wondering free in the night. They fitted CCTV and they found the culprit, a dog who just wanted his homies to party with him.
Dog Creates a Game for Himself
Don’t worry guys, the dog has an owner. He wasn’t homeless. This was taken in Kobe, Japan for those wondering. – Ryan Faw
From the Dog’s Perspective
Scientists could soon have the answer to what exactly goes on inside the brain of man’s best friend, with scans to canine brains.
Brain Activity of Dogs
Many dog lovers make all kinds of inferences about how their pets feel about them, but no one has captured images of actual canine thought processes — until now.
Emory University researchers have developed a new methodology to scan the brains of alert dogs and explore the minds of the oldest domesticated species. The technique uses harmless functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the same tool that is unlocking secrets of the human brain.
Jumpy the Dog
Jesse the Butler Dog
Jesse tackles chores that most humans wouldn’t find enjoyable, complete with his award-winning smile. All taught with positive reinforcement =o) – Just Jesse
