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

Abstract

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.

Learning with lacertids: Studying the link between ecology and cognition within a comparative framework

“…Note, however, that such a limitation is far from unique to our study. In general, there is a dire need to better understand how cognition measures in the lab relate to ecological relevant behavior in the wild (De Meester and Baeckens 2021; Szabo et al. 2022).…”

How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored

“…Studies of animal personality and cognition have traditionally used primates, other mammals, birds and fish as models [ 225 , 226 ]—species that are often not very abundant on islands—especially not on smaller, oceanic islands. Recently, however, techniques for measuring personality and cognitive capacity have been tailored to and successfully applied in other taxa, such as reptiles [ 227 ] and insects [ 228 ], that can be sampled in large numbers on even the smallest islands. With the right study organisms, it should be logistically possible to study how insularity affects personality and cognition.…”

Overlooked and Under-Studied: A Review of Evidence-Based Enrichment in Varanidae

“…More so, regardless of their level of sociality, no social enrichment studies in the reptilian taxa have been explored. Furthermore, there may exist social stages within the reptilian lifecycle; thus, an understanding of how sociality acts on their learning would be beneficial for optimal captive care [50] and possibly even conservation strategies.…”

“…Another factor that could be important to consider is social learning abilities. Many lizards are considered 'nonsocial', and even amongst the more social species, this can often be of a temporary nature [50]. However, research is beginning to identify instances of social learning in reptiles [92,93], and while there has been nothing published yet on the varanids, there are many instances of social behaviors (including play behavior) that suggest that social learning is possible.…”