By Nanna M. Andersen | Igloo Rats | Published: 17.06.21 | Edited: 02.07.23
A summary of: Horizontal biases in rats' use of three-dimensional space By Jovalekic A, Hayman R, Becares N, Reid H, Thomas G, Wilson J, Jeffery K. Behav Brain Res. 2011 Sep 23;222(2):279-88. The study is on the preference of Norway rats for horizontal movement over vertical movement. The study found that when given the option, the rats showed a strong bias towards moving horizontally rather than vertically. The rats would explore each level horizontally before moving on to the next level in search of food. The study identified three main reasons for the rats' preference for horizontal movement. First, a layer strategy minimized vertical, high-energy movements. By searching each level before moving on to the next, the rats used less energy. Second, rats preferred to delay climbing as long as possible, which could be a manifestation of temporal discounting of effort. The neural encoding of height is coarse and low in information, making movements organized around the horizontal plane computationally less costly. In conclusion, the study suggests that rats are terrestrial with fossorial tendencies, meaning they prefer to move horizontally and have more floor space rather than vertical space. This allows them to maximize their energy and engage in natural movements such as playing, running, foraging, wrestling, eating, burrowing, and eliminating waste. Providing a large floor space accommodates these natural behaviors. Anecdotal arguments claiming that rats are happy with high cages or prefer vertical space should not be used to dismiss the rats' natural needs and behaviors.
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