Hoarding versus the immediate consumption of food among hamsters and gerbils

This project dealt with a comparative analysis of the effects of food deprivation on feeding and hoarding in hamsters and gerbils. The animals were given food in their home cage and their food intake was measured during a 30-min period after which they were transferred to an apparatus in which hoarding behaviour was assessed. The results indicated interesting species differences in the animals' reactions in the test situations. Whereas food-deprived gerbils ate more food than nondeprived gerbils, the food intake of hamsters was not significantly enhanced by deprivation. In the hoarding test, although significant differences were observed between deprived and nondeprived gerbils, the absolute level of hoarding in gerbils was very low in comparison to that of hamsters tested under the same conditions. These results suggest that hamsters and gerbils respond to challenges to their food reserves with different strategies.