Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Food stealing by young Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

B G Galef1, C A Marczinski, K A Murray

  • 1Department of Psychology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. galef@mcmaster.ca

Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)
|May 4, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Young rats actively steal food from peers, especially unfamiliar items, to gather information about potential food sources. This behavior, observed in rats (Rattus norvegicus), suggests food stealing is a learning mechanism.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus.

Scientific reports·2023
Same author

Indoor temperature and health: a global systematic review.

Public health·2019
Same author

Imitation learning in budgerigars: Dawson and Foss (1965) revisited.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Individual differences in responses of Norway rats to social induction of food preferences.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Are socially acquired behaviours irreversible?

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

The question of animal culture.

Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)·2013

Area of Science:

  • Animal behavior
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Rodent social dynamics

Background:

  • Food availability and competition are key factors in animal social interactions.
  • Understanding the drivers of food acquisition strategies in rodents provides insight into their ecological niche.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the factors influencing food stealing behavior in young rats (Rattus norvegicus).
  • To determine if food stealing serves as a mechanism for information gathering about food sources.

Main Methods:

  • Six experiments were conducted with young rats (Rattus norvegicus) under controlled conditions.
  • Varied factors included food familiarity, age dynamics, hunger levels, and conspecific interaction.
  • Behavioral observations focused on the frequency and context of food stealing incidents.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Rats demonstrated a propensity to steal specific food items, even when food was abundant.
  • Stealing frequency was higher for unfamiliar foods, younger rats stealing from older ones, and hungry rats.
  • Rats that stole unfamiliar food showed increased preference for it post-theft, indicating a learning effect.

Conclusions:

  • Food stealing in rats (Rattus norvegicus) is not solely driven by hunger but also by a desire for information.
  • The behavior facilitates learning about novel and potentially valuable food resources through social interaction.
  • Food stealing represents an active strategy for dietary exploration and information acquisition in rats.