Problem Solving Capabilities

[deadvenom-x 0]

Firstly, to make this make sense, here is a quote from Reptilescanada.com

Citation :

"For those of you who are not members of varanus.nl (it can be quite difficult to get membership there), I thought I would share this video made by one of the members there.

Apparently this behaviour has been witnessed by his and other beccari, making it not just a unique occurrence. Anyone with prasinus - complex animals (Ashley - this is for you!) is encouraged to try this type of behavioural stimulation for their captives.

I knew monitors (and most reptiles for that matter) are smarter than people think, but this type of behaviour just shows we definitely need to enhance their "problem solving" capabilities.

"

my response to that was drilling holes and giving it a try!

starting to check it out



and figuring it out!


and Wasabi doing her thing



EDIT:
Spoke to soon! He found the chick piece! (Poor tree died while I was on vacation)

[Putty 0]

The youtube link is giving me an error right now. Did you drill a hole and put the treat in it or cover it once in there with something else for the monitor to move out of the way?

[deadvenom-x 0]

Putty a écrit:

The youtube link is giving me an error right now. Did you drill a hole and put the treat in it or cover it once in there with something else for the monitor to move out of ther way?

Strange...it did the same when I clicked it... maybe copy/paste?

I drilled a hole about an inch deep. The first photos are with a piece of wood that hollow inside so he actually had to grab it with his hand. I had nothing to cover it, just stuffed a dead superworm in it (didnt want it to crawl out)

[Putty 0]

Aha! It worked. It's fascinating to see the use of their hands like that. I'm not sure if my Doreanus could pull it off lol.

I'd to see if they could replicate the same method of getting the food but maybe with the hole pierced on the underside of a branch - making them have to hang on with one hand(3 really) and go rummaging with the other.

[deadvenom-x 0]

Putty a écrit:

Aha! It worked. It's fascinating to see the use of their hands like that. I'm not sure if my Doreanus could pull it off lol.

I'd to see if they could replicate the same method of getting the food but maybe with the hole pierced on the underside of a branch - making them have to hang on with one hand(3 really) and go rummaging with the other.

That is actually an interesting idea!! Just a matter of having the food not fall out...and me getting horizontal branches. All of mine are pretty much vertical.

[Cerberus 0]

Thanks for the share.

Reptile do have good problem solving capabilities actually, contrary to the popular belief. At least, better than we always thought in the past. A recent study even proved out that simple Anolis are "smarter" (in the way the learn to solve a problem faster and they are able to relearn chnage in the problem) than some type of bird who have a good reputation for "being smart".

Here's some reading about it :

http://anoleannals.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/leal-and-powell-2011.pdf

[Manu-superiorgeckos 0]

Very interesting exercise, and really motivating for the monitors themselves.

Keep up the good work Ash!

[Simon06 0]

Zoos are doing lots of this type of enrichments with mammals but it is not done enough with reptiles. Varanids are some of the smartest group of reptiles. They are to other reptiles what chimps are to mammals.

[deadvenom-x 0]

Simon a écrit:

Zoos are doing lots of this type of enrichments with mammals but it is not done enough with reptiles. Varanids are some of the smartest group of reptiles. They are to other reptiles what chimps are to mammals.

YES!! Glad Im not the only one to think that