Xerxys

I saw this earlier today and I was just wondering. I know animals are not stupid and all but do they learn?? Because all humans do exactly the same things because we are taught that way. But why don't all animals do the same things to survive??

I mean, granted the animals (almost all predators) in the Seringeti actually stalk their prey, but that's about all the similar behavior you'll get from any two different animals. And one more question, does the mimic octopus LEARN to hide the way it does or does it just know what to do??

Ch'i

The simple answer is this: each different animal has its own different weaknesses and strengths. Throughout the course of their evolution through natural selection, animals will begin refining methods of eluding or confusing predators, and capturing their own prey through survival traits inherited from generation to generation. This octopus, for example, because of its vulnerability (i.e. soft body, lack of defensive capability) has over time developed methods of camouflaging itself and mimicking other animals as its defense. In contrast, the crab you see attacking said octopus has developed a hardened outer shell to protect its slow moving body along with two strong claws to clamp down on elusive prey. In conclusion, an animal's unique traits and abilities are a result of which traits kept them alive, and which ones didn't. Its all about adapting to an environment via survival. Can they learn? Some better than others, but the key lies in what they are handed down by their predecessors.

FunHater

I just want to say that octopus has mad skills.

inBOIL

A lot of what animals do to survive is instinct, which is essentially a preprogrammed response to certain stimuli. There's no thought involved in it, which is hard for humans to understand because almost all of our behaviors are learned. These instinctive behaviors are, as Ch'i said, shaped by natural selection.

As for the mimic octopus, some of those behaviors are instinctive (for example turning black as a threat, which is widespread among the octopods), but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were learned. Laboratory tests have shown that many species of cephalopod are very intelligent.

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