Justin,
you bring up some good food for thought.

"the funny thing (and my whole point really) was that the dogs were motivated to look at the humans training them and were actually interested in appeasing the people and getting the food. The primates developed 'attitudes' and were harder to pursuade to pay attention to the task."

Now, dogs are by nature pack animals with a pretty complex social structure with an alpha/pack leader. Any individual under the alpha are submissive, subservient, and would do what they can to appease the alpha. Would the trainers in these studies not be looked at as the alpha?

We also know that primates have a similar but different social structure. One of the difference being is that primates might be a bit more "free thinking" and not as willing to submit as dogs are. Primates are more like us. If we are not interested in something, we pay little attention.

All of these animals evolved different skills, adaptations, and structures that benefit them and their survival as a species. Some of this involves learing from others in a pack, pride, group, or gang. Reptiles do not need to learn basic survival skills like social animals. They are hard wired to thrive right out of the mom or the eggs.

Justin, you have hatched how many varanids. Do the hatchlings need to learn how to hunt and kill their prey? Do they need to learn how or where to hide if they feel threatend? Do they get sad, upset, or do poorly if they are separated from other hatchlings? Ofcorse not. Their ability to learn is very limited and is pretty much only food orientated. Like where to find it and how to get it. Can we really measure intteligence by looking at things they are pretty much born to do?

I honestly do not think there is any real way to assess a reptiles intelligence. Mostly because wether we like to admit it or not they need to be tested against other animals. Anything being talked about here is just opinion based through observation. What I see and what others see can be totally different. Some people see their leopard gecko scratching the glass on the cage and think the gecko is looking for attention. When I see that, I know the gecko is just trying to get through a barrier. I just do not see varanids or any reptile as highly intelligent. The way they are is enough for me to appreciate them and to want to keep them and care for them. I do not need to make them out to be more than they really are for them to be special to me.

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