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These Animal Artists Have A Super Talent For Making Masterpieces

You can't deny real talent when you see it.

Prowling in the Savanna, lurking in the dark bushes, hunting prey and flexing anything from claws to sharp teeth is all part of life for the animals of Africa. This world couldn't be further from the serene, high-class life of the fine arts with precise brush strokes, oil paints and canvases, but that hasn't stopped some animals showing off their artistic talents.

There have been multiple studies that examine how and why animals paint, or create other forms of art. One study, which was published by researchers Gisela Kaplan and Lesley J. Rogers in 2006, considered how animals perceive colours. They found that elephants specifically, can see two pigments of colour, while humans can see three.

Another study examined behaviours of four elephants at Melbourne Zoo to determine if painting helps reduce stress levels in the animals, which it was commonly regarded to do. The study found that there is no evidence to suggest a link between elephant painting and a reduction in their stress levels. They did find that the elephants had higher stress levels and were more anti-social on days when they didn't paint, but the link between painting and stress was still weak. Regardless of this, their artwork is pretty impressive.

There have also been many reports of primate painting and perhaps one of the most famous primate artists was Congo the Chimpanzee who was born in London Zoo in 1954. When he was just two-years-old Congo was given a pencil by zoologist Desmond Morris. After taking to drawing quite quickly, Congo moved onto paint brushes and paints. He got so good in fact, that the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London featured his work in an exhibition in 1957.

Another famous painting primate is gorilla Koko, who works with assorted colours and shapes. Not only is she incredibly artistic, but she has also learnt sign language, and can explain her work to humans.

It turns out that monkeys and elephants aren't the only animals that are artistically talented. There are plenty of other examples of arty animals who don't let webbed-feet, pincers or fur disrupt their creative sides.

This seal doesn't seem to let his watery environs get in the way of his art. It is interesting to note however, that seals are colour blind, and see everything in black and white except for the colour green, which they are able to decipher. Lucky this little guy doesn't have to choose the colours himself.

Spike the Beetle is the artistic representative for insects. Equipped with a shiny new Twitter page created in July 2017 and his very own merchandise range, Spike really seems to have the makings of a great career. His Twitter bio reads, "The official account for Spike the stag beetle! Please be kind, his art is just starting out". For such a young and fresh talent, he already seems to have quite a loyal fan base, already laying claim to over 47,000 followers. If you buy any of Spike's work, 15 percent of the sale goes to stag beetle conservation, so you can pretty-up your home and support a good cause all at the same time.

he's back, and improving his form.

good luck! pic.twitter.com/6v0CpdJVQP

— Spike the Beetle (@SpikeTheBeetle) July 4, 2017

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