The Weasel With Plans for the Future

If you're unfamiliar with the rather otter-esque weasel above, allow me to introduce you to the tayra. Aside from being incredibly cute, this weasel species has another unique feature—they are the only non-primate,  non-avian species that is able to plan for the future.

While plenty of animals, like dogs and squirrels, will hide excess food away for later enjoyment, the tayra is different. It puts away unripe plantains and returns when they are at the peak of ripeness. This means they actually are able to plan for these inedible foods to become edible later on. While some scientists are still debating on the tayra's true understanding of the future, there is no denying that they are much better prepared than other members of the animal kingdom.

[Image courtesy of David Cook Wildlife Photography's Flickr.]