Smarter in the city? Lizards from urban and semi-natural habitats do not differ in a cognitive task in two syntopic species.

ABSTRACT: Urbanization occurs at a global scale, imposing dramatic and abrupt environmental changes that lead to biodiversity loss. Yet, some animal species can handle these changes, and thrive in such artificial environments. One possible explanation is that urban individuals are equipped with better cognitive abilities, but most studies have focused on birds and mammals and yielded varied results. Reptiles have received much less attention, despite some lizard species being common city dwellers. The Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus, and the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, are two successful lizards in anthropogenic habitats that thrive in urban locations. To test for differences in a cognitive skill between urban and semi-natural environments, we investigated inhibitory co

SUBMITTER: Damas-Moreira I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11255991 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature