Abstract
Species that are able to solve novel problems through social learning from either a conspecific or a heterospecific may gain a significant advantage in new environments. We tested the ability of a highly successful invasive species, the Italian wall lizard Podarcis sicula, to solve a novel foraging task when social information was available from both a conspecific and an unfamiliar heterospecific (Podarcis bocagei). We found that Italian wall lizards that had access to social information made fewer errors, regardless of whether the demonstrator was a conspecific or a heterospecific, compared to Italian wall lizards that individually learnt the same task. We suggest that social learning could be a previously underappreciated, advantageous mechanism facilitating invasions.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 20180532 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-5 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Biology Letters |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2018 |
Keywords
- Podarcis sicula
- biological invasions
- social learning
- heterospecific learning
- cognition