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Post by cat001 on Jan 12, 2017 3:15:09 GMT
I thought I'd do a bit of a trivia thread on reptiles, I'll add to it now and again and obviously others can post any interesting facts or knowledge they have about reptiles if they'd like. The first topic will be on reptilian intelligence! Varanid lizards in particular are considered to be the most intelligent of the reptiles and have demonstrated a level of intelligence that rivals some birds and even mammals. Studies on the species Varanus albigularis have demonstrated the animals ability to count up to six, while studies conducted in the wild have also revealed that varanids are capable of hunting co-operatively to gain access to a difficult food source. Studies on Bearded Dragons, conducted at the university of Lincoln have also shown for the first time a reptiles ability to learn from imitation. The study involved a wire door which could be pushed open to gain access to food on the other side. Bearded Dragons that were unfamiliar with the door were not able to open it but when they witnessed the trained Bearded Dragon successfully opening the door they were then immediately able to complete the task themselves. www.lincoln.ac.uk/news/2014/09/970.asp“The ability to learn through imitation is thought to be the pinnacle of social learning and long considered a distinctive characteristic of humans. However, nothing is known about these abilities in reptiles,” lead researcher Dr. Anna Wilkinson from the School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, UK said in a statement.
“This research suggests that the bearded dragon is capable of social learning that cannot be explained by simple mechanisms - such as an individual being drawn to a certain location because they observed another in that location or through observational learning. The finding is not compatible with the claim that only humans, and to a lesser extent great apes, are able to imitate.”
These advanced cognitive abilities may possibly be common place in reptiles but there simply isn't the research out there to know the full extent of reptile intelligence. |
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Post by scallywag on Jan 12, 2017 7:39:13 GMT
Sounds interesting dont give up on us cat001 as your threads are interesting , I know I won't post on here as I know nothing what so ever about reptiles, but reading your posts gives me insight I wouldn't ordinarily think to read up on  |
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Post by lotsofcats on Jan 12, 2017 10:35:14 GMT
Very interesting reading cat001 |
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Post by cat001 on Jan 12, 2017 13:23:34 GMT
I don't seem to get too much time to myself as I seem to be at work all the time and if I'm not at work I'm feeding or cleaning out the reptiles lol, but will definitely try and post when I can.
On the subject of Varanid lizards, they're the closest cousins of the snakes, both of which demonstrate highly mobile forked tongues and an elongated body plan. I would suggest they also share some of that intelligence too. I know from personal experience the intelligence that snakes can demonstrate. During the night the snakes would sometimes test the enclosure for escape routes, the obvious route being the glass door. Norman figured out how to move the vent out of position and escape, this is interesting because that's not an obvious escape point as the animal has had no prior experience to leaving from this route and the outside can't be seen like it can from the glass doors. After firmly repositioning the vent, the very next night he retained knowledge of how to dislodge that same vent and escape again, annoyingly he took Rupert with him that time. After that I had to super-glue the vent into place. During the night I'd see that instead of testing the door, the snakes would focus on trying to move that vent. This demonstrates to me an ability to learn from experience and from the observations of others. There's also a deeper understanding to their environment, that the less obvious routes can still be considered. Norman and Rupert now live in separate enclosures but still get their 'out and about' time, but supervised this time lol.
Any snake owner will tell you just how talented snakes are at leaving their enclosures, you really have to make sure your enclosure is firmly secured in all areas, if their's any fault with security what so ever, the snake will take full advantage of this.
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Post by cat001 on Jan 13, 2017 14:15:29 GMT
Social ReptilesReptiles are often thought of as being solitary creatures, instinctively responding to their environment and only looking out for themselves. Snakes are commonly considered to be the least social reptiles, but recent data suggests that this might not be accurate. Rattlesnakes for instance, exhibit characteristics consistent with advanced sociality, including group defence, conspecific alarm signals, and maternal defence of young. The findings reinforce the notion that rather than being solitary and asocial, some snake species may form family groups. What's even more surprising is that further studies suggest rattlesnakes have social preferences and vary in their social habits much like humans do (some are highly gregarious while others prefer small groups). The study also found that snakes would consistently choose the company of specific individuals and habitually avoid others. Kinship recognition has also been demonstrated with rattlesnakes, as adults, the rattlesnakes can recognize their siblings, even after being separated at birth. A small number of reptiles, including green iguanas and common lizards, have also been shown to exhibit kin recognition.  
Female Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) demonstrating parental care of their newly born offspringAnother research study revealed that Australian black rock skinks exhibited long-term monogamy, stable social grouping, and evidence of “nuclear family” systems, attesting to the fact that the social organisation of some reptiles may be more complex than previously suspected.  Black Rock Skink familywww.phschool.com/science/science_news/articles/social_lives_snakes.html
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Post by cat001 on Jan 20, 2017 2:59:14 GMT
Hearing in ReptilesThe external ear is absent in fishes and amphibians but is present in reptiles, namely the lizards and crocodilians, which indicates that reptiles were the first animals to develop such a structure. The external ear is not to be confused with the fleshy structure that most people call the ‘ear’, which is correctly termed the 'pinna'. This is typically a cartilaginous flap surrounding the external ear of most mammals, but is absent in reptiles. The reptilian ear varies considerably from species to species, as does its capabilities but generally the ear is divided into three adjoining compartments; the external, middle and inner ear. Typically the tympanic membrane (or eardrum) is the most external structure of the reptilian ear. This structure is a thin, circular membrane located near the back of the reptiles’ head and forms the outer boundary of the middle ear cavity. The eardrum is connected to the inner ear by a single bone called the columella, which is the equivalent of the stapes in mammals and is directly involved in the conduction of sound vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. Interestingly, the jaw-bones of reptiles possess two additional bones known as the quadrate and articular, these bones are not found in the jaws of mammals but over the course of mammalian evolution, had lost their functional purpose in the jaw joint and were repurposed within the middle ear, forming a chain of three bones known as the stapes, incus (quadrate) and malleus (articular) (or stirrup, anvil and hammer – collectively known as ossicles). This allowed mammals greater efficiency in the transmission of sound waves resulting in more acute hearing.  Reptilian hearing is indeed inferior to that of mammals, even more so in snakes which lack an external opening and the tympanic membrane all together but just how much can a snake hear? Snakes lack external structures for sound conduction leading many to believe that snake were deaf but the inner ear remains well developed. Snakes are anatomically peculiar in this respect, such an evolutionary trait is likely reflective of fossorial or aquatic ancestry, as I had previously discussed in posting on another anatomical peculiarity of snakes. It is often assumed that snakes respond to ground vibrations which transmits through the head and ultimately stimulate the receptors responsible for hearing, but studies have demonstrated that snakes are also able to respond to airborne and waterborne sounds as well. The quadrate and articular bones of the jaw in snakes may aid in transmitting sound waves to the columella and ultimately contribute to the hearing of airborne sound waves. The notion that snakes are deaf is not true but hearing may be restricted to a limited range of sound frequencies, regardless of these limitations the sensitivity of snakes to vibration and sound is remarkably good.
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Post by cat001 on Jan 24, 2017 1:47:33 GMT
Crocodilian and bird relatedness
Crocodiles may look similar to lizards but they are in fact more closely related to birds and dinosaurs than they are to other reptiles. Their common ancestor lived around 240 million years ago and gave rise to a group of animals known as the “archosaurs” (or ruling reptiles). This group is split into two main clades; Pseudosuchia, which includes crocodilians and their extinct relatives, and Ornithosuchia, which includes birds and their extinct relatives (including dinosaurs and pterosaurs).  The mass extinction event that took place at the end of the Permian era left many vacant niches for primitive reptiles to exploit, facilitating their diversification into the many forms we see within the archosaur family. Because it is clear that birds and crocodilians are sister taxa, taxonomists agree that birds naturally belong to the class “Reptilia”, which traditionally includes tuataras, turtles, crocodilians and squamates (snakes and lizards). The term “Non-avian reptile” is now employed to emphasize the close relationship between crocodilians and birds.
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Post by cat001 on Feb 15, 2017 15:41:01 GMT
There are some very interesting adaptations amongst the reptiles when it comes to locomotion, not all amble or slither along the ground, but a few species have developed some innovative methods of getting around. Water holds a particular problem for legged animals because it readily yields to any applied force, but interestingly swimming isn’t the only way to cross water. The Green Basilisk Lizard (or ‘Jesus’ Lizard) has the unique ability to run across water to a distance of up to15 feet. A particularly amazing feat for their size, given that they can weigh in excess of 200g. Foot movements generated by the lizard while water running are highly complex as basilisks actively sweep their foot through the water in three-dimensions. The mechanics of water running by basilisk lizards are certainly a novel mode of legged locomotion that deviates strongly from the established spring-mass model of legged running.   Some lizards have taken a rather different approach to getting around, preferring to traverse the air rather than water. The Flying Lizards of Borneo are among the most remarkable and successful group of gliding animals. They’ve been documented reaching distances of up to 200 feet with comparatively little loss in height. They are strictly arboreal, spending their entire lives high up in the trees, with the only exception of females descending to the ground to deposit her eggs. The wing-like structure, (or patagium) is a thin membrane that is uniquely supported by specialized ribs allowing for muscular control over the structure, this allows them to be extended or retracted as required. Additionally, a flap on the neck serves as a stabilizer during “flight”.  It’s not just the lizards that have took to flying but the Flying Tree Snakes (or Paradise Tree Snakes) have also come up with their own solution to navigating the canopy. These animals don’t rely on wing-like structures to glide like other gliders do, but instead they contort their bodies in order to catch the air and generate lift. The snakes will flatten their entire bodies to twice its normal width and change their body shape, the underside becomes concave to better trap the air. It was previously thought that these snakes were more “parachuters” than gliders but they are better in fact better gliders than most, and have particularly remarkable control over directional changes.   |
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