Aggregation in quads but not pairs of rats exposed to cat odor or bright light.

Bowen, MT; Keats, K; Kendig, MD; Cakic, V; Callaghan, PD; McGregor, IS

Aggregation in quads but not pairs of rats exposed to cat odor or bright light.

Bowen, MT Keats, K Kendig, MD Cakic, V Callaghan, PD McGregor, IS

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Behav Processes, 2012, 90, (3), pp. 331-336
Issue Date:: 2012-07

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bowen, MT
dc.contributor.author	Keats, K
dc.contributor.author	Kendig, MD
dc.contributor.author	Cakic, V
dc.contributor.author	Callaghan, PD
dc.contributor.author	McGregor, IS
dc.date.accessioned	2025-02-21T03:55:37Z
dc.date.available	2012-03-22
dc.date.available	2025-02-21T03:55:37Z
dc.date.issued	2012-07
dc.identifier.citation	Behav Processes, 2012, 90, (3), pp. 331-336
dc.identifier.issn	0376-6357
dc.identifier.issn	1872-8308
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185244
dc.description.abstract	In many prey species aggregation of individuals is a defensive strategy commonly employed in response to predators and predator-related cues. However, very little work has explored this adaptive response in laboratory rats. It is known that individual rats show characteristic defensive responses to predator odors, such as hiding, avoidance, inhibition of foraging, feeding and reproduction, and risk assessment directed toward the odor source. However, whether these species-typical responses in individuals are altered in the presence of other conspecifics is yet to be characterized. The present study therefore examined the defensive response of groups of two rats (dyads) or four rats (quads) to two unconditioned stressors: bright ambient light and cat odor (a 2g ball of cat fur). The dyads and quads were formed from familiar cage mates and test sessions (20 min) occurred in a large open arena (1200 mm(2)) to which the rats had been extensively habituated under dark conditions. The results showed that when quads of rats were exposed to either cat odor or bright light in this arena, they showed characteristic increases in close social proximity, termed "huddling". A tight grouping of 3 (triplet) or 4 (quad) rats was commonly seen in response to cat fur, while triplets were more commonly seen in response to bright light. Interestingly there was no evidence for increased social proximity in dyads exposed to either stressor, only in quads. However, cat odor caused other signs of fear (such as decreased locomotor activity and increased defecation) in both quads and dyads. It is concluded that huddling is a rodent defensive strategy in rats when anxiogenic stimuli are encountered by larger groups of rats.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER
dc.relation.ispartof	Behav Processes
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.beproc.2012.03.014
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing, 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
dc.subject.classification	3109 Zoology
dc.subject.classification	3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
dc.subject.classification	5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
dc.subject.classification	5205 Social and personality psychology
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Cats
dc.subject.mesh	Darkness
dc.subject.mesh	Data Interpretation, Statistical
dc.subject.mesh	Defecation
dc.subject.mesh	Fear
dc.subject.mesh	Habituation, Psychophysiologic
dc.subject.mesh	Light
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Motor Activity
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants
dc.subject.mesh	Predatory Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Rats
dc.subject.mesh	Rats, Wistar
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Stress, Psychological
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Cats
dc.subject.mesh	Rats
dc.subject.mesh	Rats, Wistar
dc.subject.mesh	Data Interpretation, Statistical
dc.subject.mesh	Predatory Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Stress, Psychological
dc.subject.mesh	Motor Activity
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Fear
dc.subject.mesh	Defecation
dc.subject.mesh	Light
dc.subject.mesh	Darkness
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Habituation, Psychophysiologic
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Cats
dc.subject.mesh	Darkness
dc.subject.mesh	Data Interpretation, Statistical
dc.subject.mesh	Defecation
dc.subject.mesh	Fear
dc.subject.mesh	Habituation, Psychophysiologic
dc.subject.mesh	Light
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Motor Activity
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants
dc.subject.mesh	Predatory Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Rats
dc.subject.mesh	Rats, Wistar
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Stress, Psychological
dc.title	Aggregation in quads but not pairs of rats exposed to cat odor or bright light.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	90
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
utslib.for	0801 Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
utslib.for	1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Stroke Research Collaborative
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2025-02-21T03:55:35Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	90
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

In many prey species aggregation of individuals is a defensive strategy commonly employed in response to predators and predator-related cues. However, very little work has explored this adaptive response in laboratory rats. It is known that individual rats show characteristic defensive responses to predator odors, such as hiding, avoidance, inhibition of foraging, feeding and reproduction, and risk assessment directed toward the odor source. However, whether these species-typical responses in individuals are altered in the presence of other conspecifics is yet to be characterized. The present study therefore examined the defensive response of groups of two rats (dyads) or four rats (quads) to two unconditioned stressors: bright ambient light and cat odor (a 2g ball of cat fur). The dyads and quads were formed from familiar cage mates and test sessions (20 min) occurred in a large open arena (1200 mm(2)) to which the rats had been extensively habituated under dark conditions. The results showed that when quads of rats were exposed to either cat odor or bright light in this arena, they showed characteristic increases in close social proximity, termed "huddling". A tight grouping of 3 (triplet) or 4 (quad) rats was commonly seen in response to cat fur, while triplets were more commonly seen in response to bright light. Interestingly there was no evidence for increased social proximity in dyads exposed to either stressor, only in quads. However, cat odor caused other signs of fear (such as decreased locomotor activity and increased defecation) in both quads and dyads. It is concluded that huddling is a rodent defensive strategy in rats when anxiogenic stimuli are encountered by larger groups of rats.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/185244