Pigs are small animals that are interesting creatures for scientific research and experiment.
Pigs are closer to humans in anatomy and physiology characteristics, and scientists research them to fill the gap that occurs with rodents related to human diseases.
But what about the memory of pigs? Are they smart enough like humans or dumb? There are several myths about the memory of pigs.
On the other hand, some scientific studies also prove that pigs are smart animals.
Keep reading if you want to know more about the pigs and their memory retention. In this article, we have covered some fun facts about pigs and their memory.
Pigs: Myths and Fun Facts
Several things could be improved regarding the pigs’ basic nature and intelligence based on mere outer observations. Pigs are considered as dumb and dirty creatures who love to live in mud and dirty areas.
Pigs are not dumb, and living in the mud has solid scientific reasons and fun facts about pigs.
They live in the mud to keep themselves cooler because they don’t have sweat glands and are more tolerant to the cold temperature than the hotter ones.
Scientific Research on Pigs
As per the research, pigs are smart animals. For the past few years, scientists have continuously done research on mini pigs to test their characteristics and intelligence levels.
Their brain is larger and fully developed. According to the research data, a mini pig weighs around 70 to 80 grams. Meanwhile, the weight of the adult pigs can be up to 180 grams.
The complete neurological behavior of pigs is still unexplored, but scientists have found that mini pigs and their anatomy are greatly related to humans.
The cognitive abilities of these pigs are worth observing and mentioning, as they vary to a greater level depending on the various factors involved along with the species of pigs.
According to scientific research, each pig has its own Teat, and they can identify their mother’s voice based on the certain Teat order.
Apart from intelligence and cognitive abilities, several surprising facts about pigs will force you to think again about the pigs, their smartness, and their basic behavior.
Pigs’ Intelligence
When the small pigs are trained professionally, they can learn it, including their names, like the dogs. When someone calls these pigs by their names, they can respond.
Their learning capability is faster than the dogs. Most of the pigs can be trained greatly in two to three weeks. Their memory is longer as compared to other animals.
Pigs can remember things even for more than a year. Small pigs are naturally curious animals who enjoy the enrichment of toys like human babies.
More fun facts about pigs highlight their capability to play with the balls. As per the repeated experiments, pigs can jump over the balls, sit on them depending on their flexibility, and sit by them if instructed.
If trained, they can also pick up the object thrown away and fetch it back to their owner or instructor.
Pigs and Comparison with Other Animals
- Compared to dogs, mini pigs have higher intelligence.
- Compared to the Primates, some pigs are smarter and have higher intelligence.
- The research about the sense of smell says that pigs are approximately 2000 times more sensitive than humans.
- To keep themselves warmer in extremely lower temperatures, pigs cuddle up closely with other pigs or species with whom they have formed close bonds.
Factors Influencing the Intelligence Of Pigs
The behavior and fun facts about pigs of domestic and mini pigs are not directly compared regarding maturity and weight gain. However, it is revealed that even the conditioning of pigs impacts their stress-handling capacity and productivity.
For the domestic pigs, how their owner treats them is important in their behavior pattern and intelligence. If the conditioning and environmental situations are unfavorable for domestic pigs, they suffer a lot.
Whenever they are forced to choose specific things like food stashes, richer treats, and relative values, the conditioning of pigs also influences their emotional regulation process, cognitive abilities, and intelligence.
Final Thoughts
Pigs can have long-term and short-term memory, depending on various factors. Compared to general beliefs and myths, pigs are smarter and have higher intelligence.
According to the research, they are more intelligent than dogs and can respond after calling their names if trained. Even their sensing capability is much higher than that of humans.
This post showed the myths and research related, along with some fun facts about pigs. If you want to add value to your life and thoughtful experiences, sign up and get our best tips and strategies sent to your inbox.
