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Weaning in rats: II. Pup behavior patterns.

E Thiels1, J R Alberts, C P Cramer

  • 1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Developmental Psychobiology
|September 1, 1990
PubMed
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This study tracks rat pup behavior from Day 14 to 35 postpartum. Key findings reveal a three-phase developmental transition from suckling to solid food intake, marked by distinct behavioral shifts.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Animal behavior
  • Mammalian ethology

Background:

  • Postnatal development in mammals involves significant behavioral and physiological changes.
  • The transition from maternal milk to solid food is a critical developmental milestone.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the behavioral changes in rat pups during the postpartum period from Day 14 to Day 35.
  • To identify distinct phases in the developmental transition from suckling to solid food intake.

Main Methods:

  • Continuous video-monitoring of rat pups and their mothers from Day 14 to Day 35 postpartum.
  • Observation and quantification of specific behaviors including suckling, feeding, drinking, grooming, and play-fighting.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Prior to solid food intake (Day 18), pups primarily suckled.
  • Between Days 18-26, feeding, drinking, grooming, and play-fighting increased, while suckling declined.
  • By Day 28, intake of solid food and water, and time spent on new behaviors, reached a plateau, though suckling continued until Day 34.

Conclusions:

  • The transition to solid food is a complex process involving multiple behavioral changes with specific temporal patterns.
  • The developmental period between Day 14 and Day 34 in rat pups can be delineated into three distinct phases based on behavioral changes.
  • These findings provide insights into the intricate developmental trajectory of mammalian offspring during weaning.