Classical and Operant Conditioning in Reptiles

[M_surinamensis]

If fish and hermit crabs can do it why not reptiles.

Because cichlids and crustaceans are substantially more intelligent than reptiles.

They have both evolved adaptive declarative thought and an ability to form abstract associations as part of problem solving to a degree that reptiles have not. About the closest any reptiles come are chelonians and some particularly highly developed (and larger) predatory species and even those aren't even approaching the kind of declarative actions seen in cichlids and crabs.