Contributions of endothermy to huddling behavior in infant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

A comparative analysis of huddling in infant Norway rats and Syrian golden hamsters: does endothermy modulate behavior?

In infant rats, huddling improves surface-to-volume ratios and provides metabolic savings during cold exposure. It is unclear, however, whether endothermy is also a necessary component of huddling. In the present experiment, huddles composed of infant Norway rats (2- or 8-day-olds), which produce heat endogenously, or Syrian golden hamsters (8-day-olds), which do not produce heat endogenously, ...

Thermoregulatory behavior in infant Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Syrian golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): arousal, orientation, and locomotion.

The responses of 2- and 8-day-old rats (Rattus norvegicus) and hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) to thermal stimulation were assessed in 4 experiments. In Experiment 1, the surface underlying the pup was cooled, and the latency to escape to a region of warmth was measured. Experiment 2 required pups to locomote farther to gain access to warmth. Experiment 3 was similar to Experiment 1 except the ...

Fungal flora of the hair coat of domestic golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) with and without skin lesions in Mashhad, Iran

The objective of this study was to investigate fungal flora of the hair coat of domestic golden hamsterswith and without skin lesions. Sixty hamsters were examined in the Small Animal Teaching Hospitalof the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and Mashhad, Iran. Asteriletoothbrush was used for sample collection, from the entire body of the hamsters, all skin lesions ...

Self-organized huddles of rat pups modeled by simple rules of individual behavior.

Starting at infancy and continuing throughout adult life, huddling is a major component of the behavioral repertoire of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Huddling behavior maintains the cohesion of litters throughout early life, and in adulthood, it remains a consistent feature of social behavior of R. norvegicus. During infancy, rats have severely limited sensorimotor capabilities, and yet they...

Blood cell factors and tumor growth in the cheek pouch of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).