The mirror test--are we smart enough to test animal intelligence

[Catherine]

There are obvious signs of intelligence in so many creatures. We don't even know how to test human intelligence. The tests we use have cultural biases. You are only going to score well if you are from the same background as the test.

I don't think "people" who look at mirrors a lot show much intelligence. 
Good for Misty that she didn't respond and wasn't interested.

I don't know how you would test snake intelligence. A mirror is cold glass. Snakes measure heat and recognize things by the size of their heat signature. They also respond to scent  and in some ways sound, but not the way we do.  How do you measure that?
They communicate, but it is not the way we communicate.

Guinea pigs are smart enough to recognize the refrigerator even in a strange home.
Luna Bunny always knows when he is going home. He acts differently. Does he read my mind. He is smart enough to pick  up some subtle clue that I give off.

Maybe we need to start by figuring out how to test the intelligence of the researchers. That could be a challenge.