It's very obvious that animals are conscious to those who observe them. They have to be in order to do the things they do and make the choices that they do, and use the judgments that they use.

Are animals aware that they are aware?

After decades of studying animals ranging from coyotes and gray wolves to domestic dogs and Adelie penguins and other birds, I've come to the conclusion that not only are some animals self-aware, but also that there are degrees of self-awareness.

Do animals know that they are animals?

Species recognition varies from animal to animal, but generally they use their senses, just like us. In much the same way as we do – using a combination of appearance, calls, behaviour and smell. ... But species recognition isn't always hard-wired into animals.