Replication data for "Try before you buy: Preferences for naturalistic-style enclosures are influenced by experience in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)"

In contrast to other work in reptiles, we found that a lizard’s experience influenced their behaviour: Lizards who were housed exclusively in standard-style enclosures when they were young spent more time with the style that they were familiar with when the preference test was performed, and, for all lizards, naturalistic-style enclosures were only preferred the second time the test was performed. Overall, these results suggest that familiarity may play an important role in the lizard’s preferences for naturalistic resources.

Furthermore, the behaviour of lizards exclusively housed in standard-style enclosures when young could be indicative of neophobia induced by the relative low complexity of their rearing conditions, as has been observed in other vertebrates. Finally, because lizards only preferred naturalistic resources the second time the test was performed, these results may also suggest that the perceived value of naturalistic resources may have changed due to the timing of these tests, perhaps due to the lizard’s maturation or due to the season in which each test was performed.

Regardless, all lizards used naturalistic resources more often to climb, dig, and hide, suggesting that these were superior for facilitating important, species-specific, motivated behaviours. In conclusion, these results demonstrate how a number of factors could influence a lizard’s perception of naturalistic resources and underscores how such resources may best facilitate important behaviours in P. vitticeps. Furthermore, these findings highlight the importance of assessing the assumed benefits of naturalistic enclosures and provide some practical recommendations for such assessments.