Smartest Animals

Intelligence in animals shows up as problem-solving, communication, memory, and social learning. These are the brainiest species in our guide, ranked by their intelligence rating.

By the Global Animal Guide editorial team Last reviewed July 16, 2026 Cite this page How we research & review

Rankings use stats and conservation status from our species database. For IUCN categories, verify current assessments on the IUCN Red List.

Smartest Animals compared

Smartest Animals: size, speed, lifespan, native range and conservation status
#	Animal	Weight	Length	Top speed	Lifespan	Native to	Status
1	Orca Orcinus orca	5,000 kg	8 m	56 km/h	60 yrs	Oceans	Data Deficient
2	Mountain Gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei	180 kg	1.7 m	32 km/h	40 yrs	Africa	Endangered
3	Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus	300 kg	3 m	35 km/h	45 yrs	Oceans	Least Concern
4	Gorilla Gorilla gorilla	200 kg	1.7 m	40 km/h	40 yrs	Africa	Critically Endangered
5	Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes	60 kg	1.5 m	40 km/h	45 yrs	Africa	Endangered
6	Bonobo Pan paniscus	40 kg	1.1 m	25 km/h	45 yrs	Africa	Endangered
7	African Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus	400 g	33 cm	50 km/h	55 yrs	Africa	Endangered
8	Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus	40,000 kg	16 m	35 km/h	65 yrs	Oceans worldwide	Vulnerable