Spotted hyenas can count how many individuals there are in rival hyena groups, which helps them decide whether it’s worth getting into a fight.25 A newborn guppy is able to count to at least three, preferring to join a group of three fish over two, a handy skill when there is safety in numbers.26 Honeybees can count the number of landmarks they fly over on their way from the hive to a food source, helping them find their way back to a yummy flower patch by, for example, tallying up the number of houses there are along the way.
