Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context
Abstract Animals need to recognize different individuals, both con- and heterospecifics, to make appropriate decisions. In the wild, responses to familiar individuals may vary depending on the context, which can be beneficial. However, differing responses towards human experimenters can influence ex...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95936-5 |
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| author | Isabel Damas-Moreira Lauriane Bégué Eva Ringler Birgit Szabo |
| author_facet | Isabel Damas-Moreira Lauriane Bégué Eva Ringler Birgit Szabo |
| author_sort | Isabel Damas-Moreira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Animals need to recognize different individuals, both con- and heterospecifics, to make appropriate decisions. In the wild, responses to familiar individuals may vary depending on the context, which can be beneficial. However, differing responses towards human experimenters can influence experimental outcomes. Such effects might be particularly overlooked in reptiles which are frequently viewed as cognitively less advanced. We tested Tokay geckos’ (Gekko gecko) ability to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar handlers in two situations: in a novel situation (exerting physical constraint) and a routine situation (feeding from forceps as during regular husbandry). Geckos showed sex-specific differences towards familiar and unfamiliar handlers in a routine situation, but not in a novel situation, in which they showed individual repeatability. Our results further advance our understanding of reptile cognition revealing important insights into context specific responses in relation to handler identity with implications for experimental animal studies that are rarely considered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-245c4e26e8444f5f9ce30c2005d8c13a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-245c4e26e8444f5f9ce30c2005d8c13a2025-08-20T01:54:19ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-95936-5Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to contextIsabel Damas-Moreira0Lauriane Bégué1Eva Ringler2Birgit Szabo3Department of Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld UniversityDivision of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of BernDivision of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of BernDivision of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of BernAbstract Animals need to recognize different individuals, both con- and heterospecifics, to make appropriate decisions. In the wild, responses to familiar individuals may vary depending on the context, which can be beneficial. However, differing responses towards human experimenters can influence experimental outcomes. Such effects might be particularly overlooked in reptiles which are frequently viewed as cognitively less advanced. We tested Tokay geckos’ (Gekko gecko) ability to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar handlers in two situations: in a novel situation (exerting physical constraint) and a routine situation (feeding from forceps as during regular husbandry). Geckos showed sex-specific differences towards familiar and unfamiliar handlers in a routine situation, but not in a novel situation, in which they showed individual repeatability. Our results further advance our understanding of reptile cognition revealing important insights into context specific responses in relation to handler identity with implications for experimental animal studies that are rarely considered.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95936-5Death feigningFeedingPersonalityReptileSquamataTonic immobility |
| spellingShingle | Isabel Damas-Moreira Lauriane Bégué Eva Ringler Birgit Szabo Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context Scientific Reports Death feigning Feeding Personality Reptile Squamata Tonic immobility |
| title | Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| title_full | Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| title_fullStr | Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| title_short | Tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| title_sort | tokay geckos adjust their behaviour based on handler familiarity but according to context |
| topic | Death feigning Feeding Personality Reptile Squamata Tonic immobility |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95936-5 |
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