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Two thoughts:
You don’t see a reflection in water when you look straight down at it—only when you look at an angle that depends on the refraction index. So when you look at a distant animal in the water and see its reflection below it, that doesn’t mean the animal can see its own reflection. They can see the reflections of other animals in the distance, but they can’t normally see their own.
The reflections animals are used to seeing are always mirrored vertically due to the horizontal orientation of the water surface—the upside-down orientation is probably an intrinsic part of their understanding of what a reflection is. So when they see something mirrored horizontally, it’s missing two of what experience has taught them to be fundamental characteristics of reflections—vertical inversion and an oblique viewing angle.
How do you figure that a water reflection is vertical?
Because puddles aren't typically seen on walls
Hahahaha, I snorted. Enjoy your upvote.