Editing Reptile (section)

==Cognition==
{{see also|Animal cognition}}

Reptiles are generally considered less intelligent than mammals and birds.<ref name="Romer, A 1977"/> The [[Brain-to-body mass ratio|size of their brain relative to their body]] is much less than that of mammals, the [[encephalization quotient]] being about one tenth of that of mammals,<ref>{{cite web |first=Harry J. |last=Jerison |title=Figure of relative brain size in vertebrates |publisher=Brainmuseum.org |url=http://brainmuseum.org/evolution/paleo/index.html |access-date=March 16, 2010}}</ref> though larger reptiles can show more complex brain development. Larger lizards, like the [[monitor lizard|monitors]], are known to exhibit complex behavior, including cooperation<ref>{{cite book |author1=King, Dennis |author2=Green, Brian |year=1999 |title=Goannas: The biology of varanid lizards |publisher=University of New South Wales Press |isbn=978-0-86840-456-1 |page=43}}</ref> and cognitive abilities allowing them to optimize their [[foraging]] and [[Territory (animal)|territoriality]] over time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Latency in Problem Solving as Evidence for Learning in Varanid and Helodermatid Lizards, with Comments on Foraging Techniques |website=ResearchGate |language=en |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331062010 |access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> Crocodiles have relatively larger brains and show a fairly complex social structure. The [[Komodo dragon]] is even known to engage in play,<ref name=firefly>{{cite book |editor1=Halliday, Tim  |editor1-link=Tim Halliday |editor2=Adler, Kraig |year=2002 |title=Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians |publisher=Firefly Books Ltd |location=Hove |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fireflyencyclope0000unse_p6l7/page/112 112–113], 144, 147, 168–169 |isbn=978-1-55297-613-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/fireflyencyclope0000unse_p6l7/page/112 }}</ref> as are turtles, which are also considered to be social creatures,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Even turtles need recess: Many animals – not just dogs, cats, and monkeys – need a little play time |date=Oct 2010 |website=ScienceDaily |lang=en |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101019132045.htm |access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref> and sometimes switch between monogamy and promiscuity in their sexual behavior.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} One study found that [[wood turtle]]s were better than [[white rat]]s at learning to navigate mazes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Angier |first=Natalie |date=16 December 2006 |title=Ask Science |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/16/science/15askscience.html?pagewanted=2 |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> Another study found that giant tortoises are capable of learning through [[operant conditioning]], visual discrimination and retained learned behaviors with long-term memory.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gutnick |first1=Tamar |last2=Weissenbacher |first2=Anton |last3=Kuba |first3=Michael J. |year=2020 |title=The underestimated giants: operant conditioning, visual discrimination and long-term memory in giant tortoises |journal=Animal Cognition |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=159–167 |language=en |doi=10.1007/s10071-019-01326-6 |pmid=31720927 |issn=1435-9456 |s2cid=207962281 |url=http://id.nii.ac.jp/1394/00001487/ }}</ref> Sea turtles have been regarded as having simple brains, but their flippers are used for a variety of foraging tasks (holding, bracing, corralling) in common with marine mammals.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Sea turtles use flippers to manipulate food |date=March 2018 |website=ScienceDaily |lang=en |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180328083421.htm |access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

There is evidence that reptiles are [[sentient]] and able to feel emotions including [[anxiety]] and [[pleasure]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lambert |first1=Helen |last2=Carder |first2=Gemma |last3=D'Cruze |first3=Neil |title=Given the Cold Shoulder: A Review of the Scientific Literature for Evidence of Reptile Sentience |journal=Animals |date=17 October 2019 |volume=9 |issue=10 |pages=821 |doi=10.3390/ani9100821 |pmid=31627409 |pmc=6827095 |issn=2076-2615 |doi-access=free }}</ref>