Genetics of hoarding: I. Hoarding differences between homozygous strains of rats.

Abstract

Simultaneous hoarding tests were conducted with homozygous strains of rats of (a) nonagouti black-hooded; (b) agouti, black-hooded; and (c) agouti, Irish types. The non-agouti black-hooded rats were superior to the Irish ones according to the following variables: (1) the mean trial of the onset of hoarding was 4.2 and 12.8, respectively; (2) the mean number of pellets collected during 12 days of hoarding under deprivation conditions were 43.7 and 10.7, respectively; and (3) during satiation trials, which followed the hoarding under deprivation conditions, the Irish rats stopped hoarding after 4 trials, whereas the black-hooded ones collected a mean of at least 5 pellets for 12 trials. These group differences were significant beyond the 1% level of confidence. The agouti, black-hooded performed intermediately between the other 2 strains.