Spatial perseveration error by alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in an A-not-B detour task

Area of Science:

• Animal Cognition
• Comparative Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Spatial perseveration, a tendency to repeat a learned route, is documented in species like dogs and horses.
• Cognitive abilities of alpacas (Vicugna pacos), domesticated for millennia, remain largely unstudied.
• Understanding spatial cognition in alpacas is crucial for welfare and research applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate spatial problem-solving abilities in alpacas using an A-not-B detour task.
• To identify potential spatial perseveration errors in alpacas.
• To compare alpaca cognitive flexibility with other domestic species.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-one alpacas participated in an A-not-B detour task.
• Animals learned to navigate a barrier with a gap to reach a reward.
• The gap's location was switched (B trials) after repeated successful trials (A trials) to assess error persistence.

Main Results:

• No clear evidence of spatial perseveration was observed in the alpacas.
• Alpaca performance in B trials indicated a lack of error persistence after the gap location changed.
• Alpacas demonstrated greater cognitive flexibility compared to other domestic animals tested with the same paradigm.

Conclusions:

• Alpacas exhibit flexible spatial problem-solving, challenging previous assumptions based on other domestic species.
• The findings suggest alpacas do not exhibit significant spatial perseveration.
• Results have implications for alpaca training, experimental design, welfare, and understanding their cognitive capacities.