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Do animals recognize themselves in mirrors?
Some were truly infatuated with their reflections like the leopard.
So, do animals recognize themselves when they look in the mirror?
The short answer is that most animals don't recognize their reflections and are not aware that it is themselves that they are seeing.
This is simply because animals lack self-awareness with some exceptions.
The self-awareness mirror test
In order to truly know whether the animals understand what they are looking at, a simple test has been devised, "The mark test".
In the "mark test", a small paint mark is drawn on the face of the animal. If the animal tries to touch or rub the mark on its face while seeing its reflection, it means that it understands that the face in the mirror is its.
Animals that passed the mirror test include elephants, dolphins, and chimpanzees.
Scientists think that the test itself is not conclusive because animals depend heavily on their other senses, like smelling and hearing, for recognition and assessment, not just sight.
