> Does anyone know where this idea that animals can't distinguish between different species comes from? Not explaining this penguin case, but imprinting [0] is

> Does anyone know where this idea that animals can't distinguish between different species comes from? Not explaining this penguin case, but imprinting [0] is a known phenomenon when a young bird or mammal fixates on something other than its own parent and then follows it arounds. I've seen analogous behaviour first hand while working at a raptor conservation centre. The classic case is when someone finds a baby owl out of its nest, looks after it for a few days, and only then brings it to the centre to be looked after properly. Such youngsters have an entirely different response to humans than wild birds, as they associate humans with food and protection. As they grow up, these birds retain juvenile 'feed-me' vocalisations well into adulthood when people are around. It's not obvious whether they think they are little people or what, but they are certainly affected psychologically. If an injured baby bird is brought in as soon as it is found, the staff feed it while draped in towels or similar so that the little one doesn't associate food with people, and can be safely released. Young raptors who are being intentionally reared (e.g. as breeding birds from critically endangered populations) can become very fixated on individual human handlers. They will be relatively sociable with their main caregiver, and fearful / indifferent / aggressive toward people they don't know. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprinting_(psychology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprinting_(psychology)