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Thermoregulatory behavior in infant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): arousal, orientation, and locomotion
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Thermoregulatory behavior in infant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): arousal, orientation, and locomotion

Greta Sokoloff, Mark S Blumberg, Elizabeth A Boline, Eric D Johnson and Necole M Streeper
Journal of comparative psychology (1983), Vol.116(3), pp.228-239
09/2002
DOI: 10.1037//0735-7036.116.3.228
PMID: 12234072

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Abstract

The responses of 2- and 8-day-old rats (Rattus norvegicus) and hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) to thermal stimulation were assessed in 4 experiments. In Experiment 1, the surface underlying the pup was cooled, and the latency to escape to a region of warmth was measured. Experiment 2 required pups to locomote farther to gain access to warmth. Experiment 3 was similar to Experiment 1 except the underlying surface was heated. Finally, in Experiment 4, locomotor behavior was assessed during isothermal cooling in which there was no possibility for escape. In general, hamsters exhibited more rapid and robust responses to thermal stimulation than rats. A framework for interpreting these results is presented emphasizing how differences in locomotor and thermogenic capabilities influence thermoregulatory behavior under different task conditions.
Animals, Newborn Cricetinae Body Temperature Regulation - physiology Rats Spatial Behavior - physiology Behavior, Animal - physiology Male Rats, Sprague-Dawley Arousal - physiology Animals Mesocricetus Female Locomotion - physiology

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