Can lizards count ?

[ianinoz]

I've noticed that my little mate Lizzy the house (eastern water) skink knows when I'm shortchanging her and when she's not got her full ration of bugs (I give a mixture of live medium crickets and live medium mealworms) by hand when she shows up and comes to me to beg for a food treat.

I've found that she likes 3 bugs given to her individually by hand (either from my open hand or taken from my finger tips) and if I don't offer her 3 bugs as a minimum she's very insistant and will give me the "where is it" stare until I come up with the goods.

3 usually satisfies her, I'm sure she can count, as she likes to take a bug, go and warm up and loaf for a while, then she'll come and back to me and beg for more.

Or am just imagining she can count ?

PS she's also still doing an excellent job at controlling the cockroaches in our house, not seen a single cockroach in our house since she came out of brumation, ao the mealworms and crickets are just treats for her and I don't think she is totally dependent on me for food. She does like them though - HEAPS !

 

[crocdoc]

They can count up to 6, apparently. A study was done, similar to what you stumbled across accidentally, in which they offered a monitor lizard the same number of food items daily to see if it noticed when they dropped the number.

 

[Karly]

Wow crocdoc that is incredible!! Clever little critters....
Have they done the study with any other reptiles, like crocs or snakes?

 

[ianinoz]

They can count up to 6, apparently. A study was done, similar to what you stumbled across accidentally, in which they offered a monitor lizard the same number of food items daily to see if it noticed when they dropped the number.

I noticed this "skill" being displayed by Lizzy a while ago and thought was I imagining it, I have tried shortchanging her and she gets very insistant when she thinks I've not given her the full quota of bugs. She'll also try to push my fingers apart with her nose to see if there are any bugs between or under fingers (until she gets the full quota) and wont leave my fingers until I show her there is nothing hidden between or under them by spreading them apart and letting her look.

Pretty darned cleaver little skink.... and quite a character too.

 

[Firedrake]

You have got to take a video of this famous little skink, she sounds like such a clever thing Our housemates dogs have killed all our little herp friends and there are 2 netted dragons living across the road from where I work but they're nowhere near as friendly as your Lizzy seems to be, I hope she remains a part of your family for a very long time

 

[kawasakirider]

Is it not possible that the lizard is used to eating 3 bugs, and anything less than 3 won't satiate it? I think it just eats until it's content.

 

[ianinoz]

You have got to take a video of this famous little skink, she sounds like such a clever thing Our housemates dogs have killed all our little herp friends and there are 2 netted dragons living across the road from where I work but they're nowhere near as friendly as your Lizzy seems to be, I hope she remains a part of your family for a very long time

Sorry no video camera. Am thinking of buying one soon though, but this is to make videos of our grandson.

We've become very attached to Lizzy and I hope she stays with us for a long time. (I'll keep on encouraging her).

 

[crocdoc]

Is it not possible that the lizard is used to eating 3 bugs, and anything less than 3 won't satiate it? I think it just eats until it's content.

That may well be the case, but in the study they did on monitors it wasn't the case, for they tried different numbers.

 

[ianinoz]

Is it not possible that the lizard is used to eating 3 bugs, and anything less than 3 won't satiate it? I think it just eats until it's content.

She's taken up to 5 medium mealworms "in a sitting" , I gave her 3 worms and a cricket today. She can be a real gutz sometimes given the offer of extra food treats.

It's usually 3 bugs a day and she doesn't visit every day.

 

[Elapidae1]

love it

 

[Defective]

Riiiiiiight and my Jedi master can fly!!I'm not discounting it but until proven I don't believe it is all