Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

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

Assessments of Evoked and Spontaneous Pain Following Administration of Gabapentin and the Cannabinoid CB<sub>2</sub> Agonist LY2828360 in a Rat Model of Spared Nerve Injury.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research·2026

Same author

Rats replay episodic memories in context.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same author

Editorial.

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2025

Same author

Assessments of Evoked and Spontaneous Pain Following Administration of Gabapentin and the Cannabinoid CB<sub>2</sub> agonist LY2828360 in a Rat Model of Spared Nerve Injury.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Episodic memory in non-humans: an approach to understand an evolutionary function of consciousness.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Correction: Replay of incidentally encoded novel odors in the rat.

Animal cognition·2025

Same journal

Everywhere and everything: The power and ubiquity of time.

International journal of comparative psychology·2017

Same journal

Subjective and Real Time: Coding Under Different Drug States.

International journal of comparative psychology·2016

Same journal

Exploring Potential Mechanisms Underlying the Lack of Uncertainty Monitoring in Capuchin Monkeys.

International journal of comparative psychology·2016

Same journal

Temporal Averaging Across Stimuli Signaling the Same or Different Reinforcing Outcomes in the Peak Procedure.

International journal of comparative psychology·2016

Same journal

Navigating the interface between learning and cognition.

International journal of comparative psychology·2016

Same journal

Genetic Analysis of the Touch Response in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>).

International journal of comparative psychology·2015

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 25, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

Rats time long intervals: Evidence from several cases.

Jonathon D Crystal¹

¹Indiana University.

International Journal of Comparative Psychology

|February 16, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rats demonstrate robust long-interval timing, accurately anticipating durations from 7 to 13 hours between meals. This research confirms that this timing ability is not as constrained as previously suggested.

Keywords:

Long-interval timing circadian timing rats short-interval timing

More Related Videos

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Published on: January 24, 2013

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats

Published on: March 17, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2026

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

The Rodent Psychomotor Vigilance Test rPVT: A Method for Assessing Neurobehavioral Performance in Rats and Mice

Published on: December 29, 2016

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Published on: January 24, 2013

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats

Published on: March 17, 2019

Area of Science:

Behavioral neuroscience
Chronobiology
Animal behavior

Background:

Long-interval timing bridges the gap between short-interval timing (seconds to minutes) and circadian rhythms (approximately 24 hours).
Previous research indicated rats can time long intervals, but a recent study suggested this ability is highly constrained for noncircadian durations.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the hypothesis that long-interval timing in rats is highly constrained.
To investigate the robustness of timing abilities for intervals beyond the typical short-interval range.

Main Methods:

Rats were studied across various long intermeal intervals: 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 hours.
Behavioral anticipation of these extended intervals was systematically examined.

Main Results:

Evidence for successful long-interval timing was found for all tested durations.
Rats consistently demonstrated the ability to anticipate intervals ranging from 7 to 13 hours.

Conclusions:

Long-interval timing in rats is a robust phenomenon.
The capacity for timing noncircadian, long durations is not as constrained as recent reports suggested.