Owing to the experimental design and environmental limitations of the past century, reptiles have been erroneously perceived as vertebrates with limited cognitive abilities. The field of animal cognition has experienced significant advancements in the 21stcentury, leading to a surge in research on reptile cognition. Recent studies have revealed that reptiles possess a range of cognitive skills comparable to mammals and birds, including spatial learning and memory, social learning, quality and quantity discrimination, and even tool use. Over the past 20 years, reptiles have gained recognition as valuable research subjects due to their diverse species, reproductive strategies, and social groups. This has filled a gap in the field of animal cognition and positioned reptiles as potential new model organisms for cognitive research. This paper aims to summarize and organize recent directions in reptile cognitive research, highlighting the significant potential of reptiles as model organisms in the study of spatial learning and memory, social learning, quality and quantity discrimination. Furthermore, this paper presents thoughts and prospects for the future development of reptile cognitive research.