Although art is usually considered an exclusively human expression, there are animals in nature whose behavior results in creations strikingly similar to abstract art, sculptures, or architectural marvels. Whether intended to attract a mate, demarcate a territory, or simply a byproduct of their lifestyle, these 7 animals produce fascinating ‘artworks’.
1. The bowerbird builds colorful love nests
Perhaps the most famous example is the male bowerbird (family Ptilonorhynchidae) from Australia and New Guinea. To attract females, they build not a nest, but a ‘bower’: a complex structure of twigs, ranging from an avenue to a hut-like form.
Most remarkably, they then elaborately decorate this bower. They collect objects of a specific color (depending on the species and individual preference), such as blue berries, shiny beetle carapaces, flowers, colored glass, plastic caps, or shells, and carefully arrange them around and inside the bower. The result is a stunning ‘artwork’ that serves to entice picky females.
2. The Japanese pufferfish makes geometric sand circles
On the seabed off the coast of Japan, males of a particular pufferfish species (Torquigener albomaculosus) create incredibly complex and perfectly symmetrical circles in the sand. These ‘crop circles of the sea’ can reach up to 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter and are adorned with intricate patterns of ridges and valleys.
The fish spends days meticulously building this structure using only its fins and body. The purpose is to attract females; they inspect the circle and lay their eggs in the fine sand at the center if impressed. The ridges likely also help protect the eggs from currents.
3. Termites build giant, complex architecture
Though functional, the nests (termite mounds) built by some termite species are true feats of collective construction and complex architecture. These mounds, built from soil, saliva, and feces, can reach several meters high and contain an ingenious network of tunnels, chambers, and ventilation shafts.
The design ensures a stable internal temperature and humidity, essential for the colony’s survival and the cultivation of their fungus gardens (their food source). The external shapes of the mounds vary greatly and sometimes resemble abstract sculptures.
4. The satin bowerbird ‘paints’ its bower
The satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) takes decoration a step further. Males chew berries or charcoal and mix it with saliva to create a kind of ‘paint’. They then use a wad of bark or a leaf as a ‘brush’ to paint the inner walls of their twig bower, often in a blue-black color that contrasts with their collection of blue objects.
5. Spiders weave complex and diverse webs
Spider webs are functional structures for catching prey, but their complexity, variation, and sometimes sheer symmetry can be seen as a form of natural art. From the classic orb webs of garden spiders to the funnel webs, hammock webs, and chaotic tangles of other species, each design is a technical marvel.
The silk itself is a wondrous material, and the patterns created, often adorned with morning dew, possess a delicate beauty that has inspired photographers and artists for centuries.
6. Coral polyps create living sculptures
Coral reefs are the largest structures on Earth built by living organisms. They are constructed by millions of tiny coral polyps that secrete hard skeletons of calcium carbonate. Over generations, these skeletons form complex, three-dimensional structures with an immense variety of shapes, textures, and colors.
Although a slow, collective process, the resulting reefs are breathtaking underwater landscapes resembling vast, living sculptures and ecosystems teeming with life.
7. The torpedo ray makes ‘abstract’ impressions in the sand
Some species of torpedo rays (electric rays) use their ability to generate electric shocks to stun prey buried in the sand. When they discharge a shock, the hidden prey’s muscles contract, briefly revealing its location. To detect prey, some torpedo rays perform a sort of ‘scanning’ motion, emitting short electric pulses as they glide over the sand.
This process can leave complex, sometimes almost abstract patterns of impressions on the seabed, an unintentional ‘artwork’ as a byproduct of their hunting behavior.
Art or Instinct?
Whether we can truly label the behavior of these animals as ‘art’ in the human sense is a philosophical question. Their creations are primarily driven by instinct and securing reproduction or survival. Nevertheless, the results are often stunningly complex, aesthetically pleasing, and testify to an incredible creativity within the natural world. They show that beauty and complex design are not exclusively human.
