Latency in Problem Solving as Evidence for Learning in Varanid and Helodermatid Lizards, with Comments on Foraging Techniques

Cooper, Taylor; Liew, Amanda; Andrle, Gabriel; Cafritz, Elisabeth; Dallas, Hannah; Niesen, Trent; Slater, Emily P.; Stockert, Joseph; Vold, Taylor; Young, Michael E.; Mendelson, Joseph R.

doi:10.1643/ch-18-119

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Using a modified version of this tube task, Cooper et al . (2019) tested a roughneck monitor ( V. rudicollis ), two emerald tree monitors ( V. prasinus ), two Mertens’ water monitors ( V. mertensi ), two Guatemalan beaded lizards ( Heloderma charlesbogerti ) and one Jamaican iguana ( Cyclura collei ). Of these five species, no result was obtained for the iguana because of low motivation (it did not approach the tube) and only two ( V. prasinus and V. mertensi ) of the remaining four species showed evidence of learning (decreased time needed to open the tube).…”

Section: What Have We Learned From the Last 40 Years Of Studying Learmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning in non‐avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions

2020

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Recently, there has been a surge in cognition research using non‐avian reptile systems. As a diverse group of animals, non‐avian reptiles [turtles, the tuatara, crocodylians, and squamates (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids)] are good model systems for answering questions related to cognitive ecology, from the role of the environment on the brain, behaviour and learning, to how social and life‐history factors correlate with learning ability. Furthermore, given their variable social structure and degree of sociality, studies on reptiles have shown that group living is not a pre‐condition for social learning. Past research has demonstrated that non‐avian reptiles are capable of more than just instinctive reactions and basic cognition. Despite their ability to provide answers to fundamental questions in cognitive ecology, and a growing literature, there have been no recent systematic syntheses of research in this group. Here, we systematically, and comprehensively review studies on reptile learning. We identify 92 new studies investigating learning in reptiles not included in previous reviews on this topic – affording a unique opportunity to provide a more in‐depth synthesis of existing work, its taxonomic distribution, the types of cognitive domains tested and methodologies that have been used. Our review therefore provides a major update on our current state of knowledge and ties the collective evidence together under nine umbrella research areas: (i) habituation of behaviour, (ii) animal training through conditioning, (iii) avoiding aversive stimuli, (iv) spatial learning and memory, (v) learning during foraging, (vi) quality and quantity discrimination, (vii) responding to change, (viii) solving novel problems, and (ix) social learning. Importantly, we identify knowledge gaps and propose themes which offer important future research opportunities including how cognitive ability might influence fitness and survival, testing cognition in ecologically relevant situations, comparing cognition in invasive and non‐invasive populations of species, and social learning. To move the field forward, it will be immensely important to build upon the descriptive approach of testing whether a species can learn a task with experimental studies elucidating causal reasons for cognitive variation within and among species. With the appropriate methodology, this young but rapidly growing field of research should advance greatly in the coming years providing significant opportunities for addressing general questions in cognitive ecology and beyond.

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Section: What Have We Learned From the Last 40 Years Of Studying Learmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over 40 trials, individuals needed up to 30 min to retrieve the reward. Both the snout and claws were used to open the tube but to a differing degree depending on the species’ natural foraging behaviour (Cooper et al ., 2019).…”

Section: What Have We Learned From the Last 40 Years Of Studying Learmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning in non‐avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions

2020

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“…Prey is likely to be hunted once detected and provided that it returns a net energetic gain (Losos and Greene 1988). Varanids have even been observed to rapidly learn appropriate foraging techniques to reach detectable but not freely available food sources (Cooper et al 2019). In one study, V. gouldii was found to be attracted to the nests of a large (200-300 g) Australian rodent, the greater stick-nest rat Leporillus conditor (Bolton and Moseby 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Odour-Mediated Interactions Between an Apex Reptilian Predator and its Mammalian Prey

Dickman

Fardell

Hills

2021

Preprint

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An important but understudied modality for eavesdropping between predators and prey is olfaction, especially between non-mammalian vertebrate predators and their prey. Here we test three olfactory eavesdropping predictions involving an apex reptilian predator, the sand goanna Varanus gouldii, and several species of its small mammalian prey in arid central Australia. Firstly, as expected, we found that small mammals recognised and avoided the faecal odour of sand goannas, feeding less intensively at food patches where the odour of V. gouldii was present than at patches with no odour or a pungency control odour. Secondly, V. gouldii was attracted to the odour of small mammals in artificial burrows, and dug more frequently at burrows containing the odour of species that were energetically profitable than at those of species likely to yield diminished returns. Our third prediction received mixed support. Rates of movement of three species of small mammals were no different where V. gouldii was present or absent, but burrow fidelity in two of these species increased as expected in an area where V. gouldii had been removed. We conclude that olfaction plays a key role in the dynamic interaction between V. gouldii and its mammalian prey, with the interactants using olfaction to balance their respective costs of foraging and reducing predation risk. We speculate that the risk of predation from this apex reptilian predator drives the marked and highly unusual burrow-shifting behaviour that characterises many of Australia's small desert mammals.

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“…Krochmal et al (2018) found that seven species of rattlesnakes all uniformly and consistently habituated to a thermal maze after a single trial, while none of the six non-rattlesnake pit viper species decreased their latency to make a decision in the maze across twelve trials. Another study showed that three species of monitor lizards all learnt a problem-solving task (Figure 1D) faster than the closely-related Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti) which the authors contributed to the active foraging style of monitor lizards (Cooper et al, 2019). In contrast to Krochmal et al (2018), however, Cooper and colleagues reported considerable variation among and within species.…”

Section: Phylogenymentioning

confidence: 96%

Reinstating reptiles: from clueless creatures to esteemed models of cognitive biology

Meester

Baeckens

2021

Behav.

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Non-avian reptiles have long been neglect in cognitive science due to their reputation as slow and inflexible learners, but fortunately, this archaic view on reptile cognition is changing rapidly. The last two decades have witnessed a renewed interest in the cognitive capacities of reptiles, and more ecologically relevant protocols have been designed to measure such abilities. Now, we appreciate that reptiles possess an impressive set of cognitive skills, including problem-solving abilities, fast and flexible learning, quantity discrimination, and even social learning. This special issue highlights current research on reptiles in cognitive biology and showcases the diversity of research questions that can be answered by using reptiles as study model. Here, we briefly address (the key results of) the contributing articles and their role in the endeavour for total inclusion of reptiles in cognitive biological research, which is instrumental for our understanding of the evolution of animal cognition. We also discuss and illustrate the promising potential of reptiles as model organisms in various areas of cognitive research.

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Latency in Problem Solving as Evidence for Learning in Varanid and Helodermatid Lizards, with Comments on Foraging Techniques

Cited by 20 publications

References 16 publications

Learning in non‐avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions

Learning in non‐avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions

Odour-Mediated Interactions Between an Apex Reptilian Predator and its Mammalian Prey

Reinstating reptiles: from clueless creatures to esteemed models of cognitive biology

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