Environmental, individual and social traits of free-ranging raccoons influence performance in cognitive testing.

ABSTRACT: Cognitive abilities, such as learning and flexibility, are hypothesized to aid behavioral adaptation to urbanization. Although growing evidence suggests that cognition may indeed facilitate persistence in urban environments, we currently lack knowledge of the cognitive abilities of many urban taxa. Recent methodological advances, including radio frequency identification (RFID), have extended automated cognitive testing into the field but have yet to be applied to a diversity of taxa. Here, we used an RFID-enabled operant conditioning device to assess the habituation, learning and cognitive flexibility of a wild population of raccoons (Procyon lotor). We examined how several biological and behavioral traits influenced participation and performance in testing. We then compared the cognitive

SUBMITTER: Stanton LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9637273 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature