Tortoises develop and overcome position biases in a reversal learning task.

Area of Science:

• Comparative Cognition
• Herpetology
• Animal Behaviour

Background:

• Behavioural flexibility, the ability to adjust behavior to new stimuli, is crucial for learning in novel environments.
• Reptiles, including tortoises, possess complex learning capabilities, making them valuable models for studying cognitive processes.
• Visual proficiency and behavioural flexibility are interconnected, particularly in tasks requiring discrimination and adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioural flexibility of red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonarius).
• To assess their capacity for reversal learning, a key indicator of cognitive flexibility.
• To explore the relationship between visual cue discrimination and adaptive learning in tortoises.

Main Methods:

• Red-footed tortoises were trained in a Y-maze to discriminate between visual cues.
• Subjects underwent four reversal learning phases, where reward contingencies were altered.
• Performance was measured by trials to criterion (80% correct) and strategy analysis (win-stay/lose-shift).

Main Results:

• Tortoises required more trials for the first reversal, indicating difficulty in unlearning previous associations.
• Performance improved across subsequent reversals, suggesting learning adaptation.
• A position bias developed in the Y-maze, yet most tortoises still achieved reversal learning.
• A 'win-stay' strategy was predominant, with limited evidence of 'lose-shift' behavior.

Conclusions:

• Red-footed tortoises exhibit significant behavioural flexibility and reversal learning capabilities.
• Initial challenges in reversal learning may stem from unlearning previously rewarded stimuli.
• The development of a position bias and reliance on 'win-stay' strategies may indicate limitations in their behavioural flexibility.
• Despite limitations, tortoises demonstrate notable cognitive abilities in adapting to changing task requirements.