Abstract
A group of two experiments are discussed which demonstrate avoidance learning in land snails. Experiment I utilized the snail’s negative geotaxis and its chemoreceptive characteristics and required the snail to climb a vertical pole which contained a quinine-saturated loop of thread at the top. Experiment II substituted electric shock loops for the quinine. Snails in both experimental groups manifested progressively increasing climbing latencies and avoidance responses throughout five successive training sessions and a one week retention test. Control animals which received noncontingent quinine or shock did not show evidence of learning. These results provide evidence of rapid avoidance learning in gastropod mollusks.
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Supported by MH 23880-02 from N.I.M.H. We thank Scott Beadenkopf for techanical assistance.
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Siegel, R.K., Jarvik, M.E. Learning in the land snail (Helix aspersa Müller). Bull. Psychon. Soc. 4, 476–478 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334261
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334261