Animals have a sense of quantity, but they don’t count or do math the way humans do. However, many species can discriminate between quantities of things. Insects, mollusks, lizards, birds, and some mammals can recognize differences in numbers.
Research has shown that honeybees can count landmarks while flying towards nectar-rich flowers. Golden orb weaver spiders keep track of how many insects are caught in their webs. Túngara frogs stage numerical duels as part of their mating ritual. Lionesses weigh their odds in battle by counting the number of roars from an approaching rival pride.
In 2024, researchers discovered that carrion crows can vocalize a precise number of caws in response to visual or auditory cues. However, this ability is different from human counting. Animals have a cognitive tool called the approximate number system (ANS), which relies on “number neurons” that show a peak response to specific quantities.
The ANS doesn’t work like human counting, but rather makes quick comparisons using the distance effect and size effect. It follows Weber’s law, where animals perceive differences in quantities based on ratios rather than absolute amounts. While some animals can perform basic addition and subtraction with small numbers, more complex math problems are beyond their capabilities.
Only a few select species, such as African grey parrots and pigeons, have demonstrated the ability to perform simple math. However, these abilities are limited to basic arithmetic operations and do not involve larger numbers or complex formulas.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/animals/which-animals-can-count-and-understand-simple-math