Facilitation of maternal transport by Norway rat pups

• Published in: Journal of comparative & physiological psychology Vol. 94; no. 1; pp. 80 - 88
• Main Authors: Brewster, JoAnne, Leon, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arlington American Psychological Association 01-02-1980; Williams and Wilkins Co
• Subjects: Animal; Animal Development; Animal Maternal Behavior; Infants (Animal); Norway Rats; Posture; Tactual Stimulation
• ISSN: 0021-9940
• DOI: 10.1037/h0077645

In 4 experiments with 10 mother Wistar rats and 1,062 pups, the pups assumed a characteristic posture as they were transported to a new nest. This transport response was normally elicited by the tactile stimulation received from the mother's teeth on the dorsal and lateral skin. The pup transport response developed gradually over the 1st 10 days of life and was then reliably elicited until the 3rd wk, after which the response became more difficult to stimulate. The response, therefore, is seen during the time that mothers carry relatively large pups that may be unwieldy. Although the elimination of the pup transport response did not impede the transport behavior of the mother when pups were small, its elimination interfered with the mother's locomotion and increased the time to transport young when pups became relatively large. (10 ref)