CICASP | Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology

Have you ever wondered whether tortoises yawn contagiously? Or what reptile memory might be like? Or even what impact reptile cognition may have on ecosystem processes? No? Well, Dr. Anna Wilkinson has, and she shares her thoughts with us on this episode of The PrimateCast.

A-MAZE-ing Moses…

In the interview, Dr. Wilkinson talks about how her interest in studying reptile cognition arose, how Alexandra the red-footed tortoise failed to spread yawns contagiously, and how tortoise cognitive abilities can still amaze under the right experimental conditions. In the second part of the interview, she also discusses the implications of her work for improving reptile welfare and conservation.

Anna Wilkinson is Associate Professor of Animal Cognition and leader of the cold-blooded cognition laboratory at the University of Lincoln. She has also been awarded an Ig Nobel prize in 2011 for her work on (no) contagious yawning in the Red-footed tortoise.

Join us and Dr. Anna Wilkinson on The PrimateCast, and visit our official webpage @ theprimatecast.com to find loads of content from primatologists and conservationists around the world. You can also visit (and Like/Follow) us on Facebook and Twitter and leave comments and feedback on this or any other podcast in the series. You can also follow our RSS feed, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes to keep up with the latest content.

Photo Credit: Anna Wilkinson / Moses / University of Lincoln