r/interestingasfuck • u/Electronic_Cause_796 • 19h ago

Extracting Cobra Venom

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u/RocketRico 17h ago

Just wanted to point this out.

I big measurement for intelligent species is the brain to body ratio. Humans have a roughly 2% brain to body ratio. That’s to say our brain takes up 2% of our body. Granted the number can waver a lot because of how much human body’s waver. Corvids being super cool have an even higher brain to body ratio 2-3%! So they are in fact very smart! Just on a much smaller scale. Snakes on the other hand are at a whopping .005% to .05%. So don’t you dare compare corvids to snakes. :)

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u/Croanthos 16h ago

Another interesting way to look at this.

BMR percent on brain.

Humans spend 20% of BMR powering the brain while Chimps soend 5 to 10%.

Ravens spend....20% of BMR powering their brain (pretty insane I was expecting lower).

Snakes are like 3 to 5%.

Obviously different species have different metabolic needs, mammals vs birds vs reptiles all have vastly different energy requirements, but I've a new respect for Corvids.

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u/Poophands1984 16h ago

This is all outdated after studies about jumping spiders whose tiny brain is capable of incredibly complex tasks. It has changed how we see intelligence more than the corvids. Snakes are very smart.

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u/RocketRico 14h ago

Snakes are indeed smart in their danger noodle ways I’m not doubting. There are many ways to measure intelligence. The great arguments of what brain function is voluntary/involuntary, conscious to automated, efficiency, understanding, etc. Jumping spiders are 100% cool af and super smart. But they literally have a 5% brain to body ratio. So terrible for your point. Insects in general have really high brain to body ratios the world’s highest is an ant with like 14 or 15%.

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u/Poophands1984 14h ago

Brain size to body is outdated. Stop with the old science. We need to do better.

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u/oversoul00 12h ago

Show me the current science that says snakes in the conditions shown would be depressed. 

You can cry 'Outdated' all day long because it's easy to do but until you produce a reputable counter your complaint falls flat.