Learning capacities of poison frogs

Making the right decision can be a matter of life and death in the animal kingdom, and for that, animals need sharp cognitive skills. While mammals and birds have been extensively studied and shown to possess advanced cognitive abilities, there is still a lack of research on other animal groups.

This project, carried out in collaboration with the Division of Behavioral Ecology at the University of Bern, investigates the learning capacities and decision-making processes of poison frogs. We focus on two species: the Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) and the Bicolored Poison Frog (Phyllobates bicolor).

In Project 1, we test whether frogs can spontaneously distinguish between larger and smaller amounts of food – a skill that helps animals make smart decisions in the wild. In Project 2, we examine their ability to learn and later adapt their behavior when conditions change, a cognitive process known as reversal learning.

The frogs take part in the experiments voluntarily, in testing arenas. Through this research, we aim to expand our understanding of cognitive evolution beyond mammals and birds by exploring the abilities of these remarkable amphibians.