Category:Sapient species

Species with the capacity for sapience, or wisdom. Though the definition of "sapience" is notoriously broad (and ever expanding) when dealing with beings different from oneself, it usually includes qualities such as self-awareness, the capacity for reasoning and abstract thinking, which often gives rise to culture distinct from instinctual behaviors. The capacity for tool use tends to go hand-in-hand with sapience, as the former often (albeit not always) facilitates the development of the latter. It is also possible for species to be sapient yet physically incapable of tool use; examples include aquatic organisms with cetacean-like body plans. Others (such as natural quadrupeds lacking articulated manipulating appendages) may be tool-capable, but have a considerable threshold for developing tools due to the creative solutions required to overcome their physical limitations.