Defensive behaviors of laboratory and wild Rattus norvegicus..
Abstract
Analysis of the defensive behaviors of wild rats to an inescapable approaching threat stimulus (the experimenter) indicated a pattern of freezing to distant stimuli, giving way to vocalization, jumps, and jump-attacks at shorter defensive distances. Comparisons of the defensive reactions of wild-trapped and laboratory-bred wild rats to a variety of threatening stimuli, in escapable as well as inescapable situations, indicated that the two wild strains were similar and consistently more defensive than laboratory rats to both human and conspecific threat stimuli. These results thus suggest that the defensive behaviors of rats have been substantially reduced during the process of domestication, with relatively little of this reduction being attributable to housing in standard laboratory conditions.
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Wild rats are aggressive, avoid humans, and often attack if escape is unavailable.
“Wild rats are known for their aggressiveness.They avoid humans and, if escape is unavailable, often attack.30”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [30]
If a predator is in close proximity, rats emit audible alarm calls.
“If the predator is in close proximity, rats emit audible alarm calls.30,[165][166][167]”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [30]
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- Authors
- Blanchard, R. J., Flannelly, K. J., & Blanchard, D. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Venue
- Journal of comparative psychology
- Published
- 1986
- Volume
- 100
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 101-107
- ISSN
- 0093-4127 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2087
- 0735-7036
- OpenAlex
- W2087052199
- Cited by
- 405
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 10.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of comparative psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA-06220)
- National Institute on Aging (AG03060)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- defensive behavior, Rattus norvegicus, wild rats, laboratory rats, domestication, threat stimuli, freezing, vocalizations, escape, anthropogenic threats
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Agonistic Behavior, Animals, Animal Population Groups, Animals, Domestic, Animals, Wild, Arousal, Escape Reaction, Female, Male, Rats
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