Presentation Details
| Raccoons optimally forage for information: exploration-exploitation tradeoffs in innovation Hannah J.Griebling1, Shylo R.Johnson2, Sarah Benson-Amram1. 1University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.2USDA National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA |
Abstract
Animals in rapidly changing environments, such as cities, should optimize information gathering to learn about and efficiently forage in these heterogeneous environments. We took an optimal foraging theory approach to study innovation in a successful urban mammal. We presented captive raccoons (Procyon lotor) with a multi-access puzzle box (MAB) with three possible solutions at one of three difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard). In contrast to previous MAB studies, we allowed the raccoons to solve as many solutions as they preferred during their trials, and we kept all solutions available across all trials at each difficulty level. Using this paradigm, we found that raccoons optimize information gain and energy gain – they explore and innovate more when presented with easier problems and exploit known solutions more when presented with difficult problems. This ability to flexibly problem-solve and optimize information foraging may be beneficial for this flourishing urban mammal.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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