Do you ever feel like you’re the only one who forgets things and always needs reminders? Don’t worry, some animals also have this issue, and they can forget things much faster than humans, sometimes even within seconds. They stand out from the rest for having a peculiar way of forgetting almost everything.
Check out the list of ten animals with the worst memory in the world.
10Snake
Snakes can distinguish between prey and predators, but they may not be aware of human existence when kept as pets. They do have memory, but they cannot process it emotionally. Snakes make use of their past experiences to identify dangerous animals or prey.
However, they do not have emotional responses to these memories because they lack the brain function to conceive emotions. Snakes only remember things like smells, visuals, and negative experiences. Regardless of their memory, most snakes keep an innate sense of what they do is right, even if they don’t remember why they do certain things.
9Sloth
Sloths are often perceived as lazy because of their slow and deliberate movements. They have a limited capacity for short-term memory and can only store a maximum of seven items in their long-term memory. This means that they can only remember information for up to seven seconds.
Research has shown that they require assistance remembering the location of food sources for more than a few days. Due to their poor visual memory, they often mistake their arms for tree branches, which can result in them falling to their death. This is because they have difficulty remembering what their arms look like.
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8Chimpanzee
As the closest living relative to humans, Chimpanzees share almost 98% of the human brain. Have you ever wondered why these intelligent creatures have poor memory retention? They possess impressive reasoning skills and long-term memory, but their short-term memory is weaker than a mouse’s. Despite having a large brain, why is their short-term memory relatively weak?
According to National Geographic, chimpanzees can only remember something that happened for about 20 seconds on average. However, this does not imply that they are dumb. A part of their brain can develop and grow continuously, allowing them to learn, comprehend, and solve various intricate problems and tasks.
7Seal
Did you know that seals have a short-term memory lasting only about 18 seconds, according to a study by the University of Southern Denmark? Despite this, they can still learn and perform actions such as waving their flippers as per command.
It’s worth noting, however, that repeating the action doesn’t necessarily mean they recall the command, as they may be responding to a previous one. Interestingly, seals have excellent long-term memory, and learning a new trick can take up to a year. Even after not performing a trick for three months, they can still remember it by possessing some level of consciousness.
6Giraffe
Giraffes are known for their intelligence but have a relatively brief memory capacity, only able to retain information for approximately 18 to 30 seconds. Their short-term memory is so brief that they wouldn’t even remember if they turned on a kettle, although giraffes don’t use kettles anyway. Fortunately, they can recall past events, preventing them from being considered foolish.
Although there is limited information on whether giraffes have a worse memory than other animals, several studies suggest that their memory span is approximately 18 seconds. However, they still can recall fundamental survival tactics, like alternating drinking to remain vigilant against potential predators.
5Turkey
Did you know that turkeys have some similarities with ostriches? Despite their body size, their brains are relatively small. Turkeys have a short memory span, which is similar to ostriches. This may suggest that they are not one of the most intelligent birds and may forget things easily. Studies have shown that turkeys have short-term memory loss.
However, they are known for being brave and recognized for their fighting spirit. Although wild turkeys prefer to sleep in trees, they recall their fundamental survival instinct, enabling the mother to keep her young on the ground. This helps protect younger ones from predators until they are strong enough to defend themselves.
4Ostrich
Did you know that despite being the largest bird in the world, ostriches have small brains and are forgetful creatures? Research shows that they can only remember something only for about 10 seconds. This means that when you ask an ostrich a question, it can only recall the answer briefly before forgetting it.
Their short-term memory causes them to chase something without knowing why. With their silly-looking heads and wide-set of eyes, they always invoke an impression of being stupid. These birds can be quite bothersome as they constantly mark their territory by pecking at someone’s leg without recalling why.
3Baboon
Baboons are a type of primate with long tails and can climb trees. However, they only have a short memory span. Research has indicated that baboons’ short-term memory can last only about 2.5 seconds. Despite this, they are highly intelligent creatures that value their familial relationships.
Biologists have discovered that baboons can even comprehend language and words logically. Measuring the exact duration of a baboon’s short-term memory remains challenging. But still, they exhibit survival instincts despite their forgetfulness. These creatures are known for their complexity and intelligence, but their short-term memory is small and comparable to a bee’s.
2Hamster
Hamsters are cute and charming little pets with fluffy and tiny heads. However, they have only three seconds of short-term memory, making them forgetful creatures. They often lose track of what they’re doing in the middle of tasks. Due to their short memory, it’s unsurprising that they only exist as pets and are not found in the wild.
Hamsters are known for their forgetfulness and may forget what they’re doing while they’re doing it. As a result, owning a hamster can provide endless entertainment as they can’t recall what they’ve done or why they did it.
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1Bees
Bees are crucial pollinators, but their memory has limitations. Their short-term memory, referred to as a “buzzword,” only lasts for less than 2.5 seconds, which can hinder their ability to remember important information, such as the location of their hive or nectar-rich flowers. These insects are incredibly capable, and their contributions to humanity are commendable.
Despite having a weak memory, bees are intelligent creatures capable of using tools and learning through observation, as demonstrated by a study at the Queen Mary University of London. Nevertheless, it is important to note that bees struggle with short-term memory.
