Can animals count?
So this is the question: can animals count? If so, and if it implies some intelligence degree, why they fail to do less complex tasks?
For instance, a female duck may lay eggs in a tree hole. The offspring need to jump from the tree as the mother calls them in the ground. She will wait until all of the little ones are with her: so she knows somehow to count. Correct? That proves some level of intelligence. However she is not wise enough to round around an obstacle like a mesh panel or a fallen tree branch to get more food. Why?
Please only serious and solid answers.
Thx
p.s. I'm not including those with "sufficient" intelligence, like simians, dolphins, etc.
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Anecdotal evidence is "Some can, some can't, some may just not solve problems that way" Some birds have been demonstrated to be able to count up to 14 or so. On the other hand, look up cowbirds to understand why the number of eggs, even if they could count, might not be what drives behavior.
Intelligence is not a single thing. It's a bunch of mental tools that evolved to meet the requirements of survival, and that can sometimes then be applied to solve other problems. It isn't yes/no, it isn't even just a matter of degree; it's how good the critters are at solving each specific problem.
And note that intelligence isn't the only way to solve problems. Persistent trial-and-error, and some memory of what finally worked last time, often works well enough.
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