Abstract
The influences of thermal and tactile stimuli on the audible vocalization in pup rats,Rattus norvegicus were investigated. Mother rats and their litters were exposed to ambient temperature (AT) depression by 5°C for 2 hours every other day from 3 to 11 days postpartum. Nearly all audible calls emitted by pups were recorded during tactile contact with the mother. AT depression alone neither prolonged the total duration of pup-licking by mother nor intensified audible vocalization. It was found, however, that the frequency (No./h.) of nest exiting by the dam doubled during the cooling and that the sum of audible peeps emitted by cooled pups in 4 cooling days was higher than sum of peeps emitted by the control pups. This difference is apparently related to an increase in the mother's motor activity, especially nest-building activity, during cooling. Analysis of circumstances accompanying peep emission supports the hypothesis that the tactile stimuli delivered by mother play the predominant role in causing audible vocalization in pup rats.
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This investigation was supported by Project CPBP-04.01. of the Polish Academy of Science
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Rychlik, L. Thermal versus tactile stimuli and audible vocalization in rat pups. J. Ethol. 8, 69–74 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350276
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350276