The raccoon good field
Raccoons thrive in urban environments because they’re adept at exploiting human resources; their intelligence and adaptability enable them to capitalize on readily available food sources like trash, pet food, and gardens. Additionally, metropolitan areas provide a unique habitat with ample shelter options, such as abandoned burrows, hollow trees, and even building structures themselves. One key concept is that individuals who are adaptable thinkers are able to drive innovation forward. To test this idea, UC Berkeley cognitive ecologist Lauren Stanton designed a fundamental laboratory study known as the reversal learning task. When observing an animal’s behavior, we initially observe it being rewarded for consistently choosing between two options. However, this optimal response is subsequently reversed, prompting the opposite choice to yield the reward instead. Individuals with adaptable mindsets excel in responding to unexpected twists and reversals. “They’ll have more opportunities to alter their choices, with the requirement to act faster as time passes,” Stanton notes.
Researchers Stanton and her team conducted a study to assess the training proficiency of feral city raccoons in Laramie, Wyoming by deploying a series of “good containers” equipped with antennas on the town’s periphery. These specially designed containers were previously occupied by raccoons that had been captured and microchipped for tracking purposes. In a hidden field, a group of curious raccoons stumbled upon two enormous buttons, supplied by a local arcade provider, designed to be pushed – one of which yielded a tantalizing reward. Utilizing a discreet compartment, a cost-effective Raspberry Pi computer board, energized by a motorcycle battery, tracked the buttons the raccoons pressed and rapidly swapped the reward button upon their achievement of making nine out of ten accurate choices. A motor-powered dispenser distributed rewards of dog kibble through a series of pre-drilled holes onto a waiting surface below.
Despite the unusual enthusiasm of many raccoons and a few skunks, obtaining accurate information proved challenging due to their involvement. “We encountered an unusual phenomenon where multiple raccoons – as many as three or four at once – simultaneously attempted to access a single feeding machine, engaging in a competitive frenzy.” To prevent further incidents, she decided to reinforce her design with a more robust fastening system, necessitated by the unanticipated enthusiasm of a group of raccoons that had previously detached the buttons from their fabric. To stimulate the creatures’ natural foraging instincts, she carefully placed tasty treats within transparent containers, inviting the animals to investigate and manipulate the enticing prizes.
Unexpectedly, the exceptional containers unveiled that the shyest, most placid raccoons proved to be the most adept learners.
The leaping spider eye tracker
What fascinates behavioral ecologist Elizabeth Jakob about jumping spiders is their attitude. “They consistently exude an aura of curiosity,” she observes. Unlike other arachnids that often remain stationary in their webs, leaping spiders are active hunters, roaming freely to capture prey and engage in mate-seeking behaviors. What mysteries lie within the intricately folded cerebral cortex of Jakob’s tiny brain? What challenges do tiny spiders face?
BARRETT KLEIN
As Jakob carefully observes, he focuses on the individuals’ eyes, particularly their two primary orbs, which boast exceptional color vision at the center of their distinctive boomerang-shaped retinas. Using a cutting-edge software developed from an ophthalmoscope, she has been studying the eyes of leaping spiders for over half a century. Researchers across generations, in collaboration with Jakob and his undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have built upon this concept, gradually transforming it into an impressive miniature film that chronicles the dynamic movements of the retinal tubes as they revolve behind the spiders’ principal eyes during observation.
In front of the tracker, a spider is secured; however, its gaze is captivated by a video projection through the lens system, depicting a silhouetted cricket. Concurrently, a beam of infrared light is mirrored off the spider’s retinas, redirected through the lenses, and captured by a camera. The video footage features a superimposition of these reflections, accurately showcasing exactly what the spider appeared to be. For Jakob, nothing captivates a leaping spider’s attention more than the prospect of a tasty cricket meal – except for one crucial detail: a rapidly growing black spot. Does the unknown presence pose a potential threat? As the spider’s primary eyes remain fixated on the cricket, its lower-resolution secondary eyes detect the approaching shadow within the nook of the video display, prompting an instant adjustment in gaze direction for a closer examination.
