title: Spatial memory: are lizards really deficient?
abstract: In many animals, behaviours such as territoriality, mate guarding, navigation and food acquisition rely heavily on spatial memory abilities; this has been demonstrated in diverse taxa, from invertebrates to mammals. However, spatial memory ability in squamate reptiles has been seen as possible, at best, or non-existent, at worst. Of the few previous studies testing for spatial memory in squamates, some have found no evidence of spatial memory while two studies have found evidence of spatial memory in snakes, but have been criticized based on methodological issues. We used the Barnes maze, a common paradigm to test spatial memory abilities in mammals, to test for spatial memory abilities in the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). We found the existence of spatial memory in this species using this spatial task. Thus, our study supports the existence of spatial memory in this squamate reptile species and seeks to parsimoniously align this species with the diverse taxa that demonstrate spatial memory ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Nevada, mail stop 314, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA. lladage@unr.edu
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Ladage
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cerjanic
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinervo
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Pravosudov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity