Lizards – Measuring Cognition: Practical Challenges and the Influence of Ecology and Social Behaviour

In the past few decades, there has been a growing appreciation for the cognitive ability of lizards. Recent work has demonstrated that lizards show behavioural flexibility, social learning and may use imitation. Importantly, much of lizard ecology and behaviour is temperature dependent and the thermal environment during embryonic development can have a profound effect on phenotype. Lizards are generally relatively easy to maintain in captivity but, across the phylogeny, have been shown to differ fundamentally in their ecology and behaviour. For example, many clades are hard-wired for foraging mode (e.g. ambush vs active foragers) and with this, are differences in the ability to detect prey chemicals. These fundamental differences can affect the choice of a suitable cognitive test. Likewise, sex, reproductive state and social dominance may also affect learning ability. In this chapter, we will describe relevant aspects of lizard biology and then briefly review the literature on lizard cognition. Finally, we will describe practical approaches to studying cognition in the lab and field including how the data should be collected, managed and analysed.