Meeting Abstract

P2.44  Wednesday, Jan. 5  The Visual Learning Ability and Effect of Temperature on the Spatial Learning Ability of Juvenile Alligators ARANEO-YOWELL, J.*; MILLER, M.; FARMER, C.G.; University of Utah, Salt Lake City; University of Utah, Salt Lake City; University of Utah, Salt Lake City j.yowell@utah.edu

The visual and spatial learning abilities of two groups of juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were studied by measuring performance in a serial habit reversal experiment. Alligators were trained to push a colored Plexiglas target. Once captured, this behavior was reinforced with a food reward. After this behavior was established as a stable and reliable pattern, it was utilized in two separate learning experiments. Alligators were asked to discriminate either between two visually distinct or two spatially distinct stimuli, and were rewarded for a response to the positive stimulus. Upon reaching a pre-determined criterion, the signs of the discriminanda were reversed in a series of additional trials. In an experiment where nine naive alligators were presented with two visually distinct stimuli, a clear trend of decreasing errors per reversal was observed, indicating mastery of the learning task and flexibility in learning a habit. We conclude that juvenile alligators train successfully to perform a learned visual discrimination task when offered a food reward. The effect of temperature on spatial learning in juvenile American alligators was also investigated. Ten naive alligators were divided between two temperature regimes. Group A completed a series of ten habit reversals at 32°C and then another set at 22°C. Group B completed a series of ten habit reversals at 22°C and then ten more at 32°C. Performance was measured using mean total error per reversal. A clear trend of decreasing errors was observed. In addition, alligators made fewer total errors at 22°C than at 32°C regardless of temperature regime. Preliminary results suggest alligators perform better in a spatial learning task at 22°C than they do at 32°C.