Your brain is divided into two sides, called hemispheres. Through experiments, scientists have determined that each side is responsible for different things. We’ll talk more about this in Unit 19, but for now, just know that the left side of the brain is mainly responsible for language, while the right side is in charge of spatial perception. Also, each side of the brain controls the action of the opposite side of the body.
Humans are not the only animals with different hemispheres controlling different actions. This experiment will explore if feeding in lizards is controlled mainly by one side of the body, and if lizards feed mainly to one side.
Here’s how to experiment with lizard brain lateralization:
1. Obtain a lizard in a terrarium – can you find a friend that already has one and borrow it?
2. Set up a video camera to record the lizard for several days.
3. Place live crickets in the terrarium for the lizard to eat. Watch the lizard eat a few to get an idea of what the strike looks like, but the since you are capturing the action on video, you don’t need to sit there all day.
4. Watch the video of each cricket capture. If possible watch in slow motion.
5. Cover the monitor on which you are watching the strikes with clear plastic wrap, and draw a line from the center of the lizard prior to the strike (right between the eyes) to the point of capture. Be careful that nothing you are doing will damage your monitor.
6. Do this for all the strikes. (Twenty would be a good number to get some reliable data, but realize that will make this experiment take some time, as lizards take a while to eat 20 crickets.)
7. Once you have all your lines drawn, count the number of times the lizard struck to the left, struck to the right, or went straight ahead. Record your results.
What’s Happening: Remember that each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body. You can determine with side of the lizard’s brain is more responsible for predation (eating) based on which side it strikes on more often. This will vary from lizard to lizard.
We loved the smile on the lizard’s face after it eats his meal
That is so cool! If only my mom would let me get a lizard!;)
Thank you!
From Briar.
You’ll want to be sure your area allows this type of animal to be in your care, and after that, subscribe to “Reptile Magazine” to stay up with all the latest information, and also check out this website entirely devoted to caring for these.
Dear Aurora.
I am soon going to get a Bearded Dragon and we live in South Australia so I was wandering because Bearded Dragons live in the wild (in some parts of South Australia) is it possible to raise a Bearded Dragon in an outside habitat?
From Briar.
Right – this one is just visual only. Sorry for the confusion! We’re working on a new set of videos that will fix this issue.
Is there no audio to this video? We can hear other clips, but not this one.
Thanks
I’m not sure if it’s published online, but you can read more about Roth here and his snake work here. It’s a little wordy and meant for college-level students.
can you give me the link?
To my knowledge there has not been a lot of research in general on snake brains, but there is evidence that there are behavioral and brain lateralization in fish, reptiles and amphibians. I am not a snake expert but I do believe that Yes snakes do have asymmetrical or lateralized brains. Hope this helps! Additionally, you may find Zoologist Eric Roth’s research interesting about the direction a snake coils.
dose a snake have brain lateralization?
@Lorelei Grecian maybe the lizard is starved… hopefully not…
and this is really cool! and thank you Aurora!
Cameron, age 13
That is so funny, I didn’t know that a lizard could eat that many crickets.
😀
That is SO COOL!!!!!!! ~ Isabel Pitcher