Thanks to a study conducted by German scientists on a group of laboratory rats, it was discovered that they can learn to “play hide and seek”.
The idea for this experiment came from Michael Brecht, a neuroscientist at the Humboldt University in Berlin, while the research was conducted by Annika Reinhold, who has always been fascinated by the skills of these rodents.
It is not new in fact that rats are often used for laboratory experiments, they are intuitive animals, methodical and in exchange for reward they perform non-stop over and over again the same activity. In this way, researchers can conduct repeatable tests and evaluate the result more easily.
But rats are not only guinea pigs, they can also be great pets, they love to play. The study by Brecht and Reinhold has made it possible to study their cognitive abilities in greater depth and what role the game plays for these animals.
The experiment
Phase 1: Brecht has specially created a “playroom” consisting of transparent and opaque boxes and cartons, a place where rats hide. He selected six young rats and spent almost a month with them, playing at running after them and stroking them, so that they would become familiar with their future playmate.
Phase 2: Reinhold put the rats in an open box and then moved to another place in the room, waiting for them to move. Curiously, the rats moved towards him. The test was repeated several times and on each occasion Reinhold tickled the rats as a reward for reaching it. The experiment continued by gradually increasing the level of hiding place, with surprising results. In the following days she taught the rats to hide and wait for her to find them. To do so, she began to tickle the rats that left their box, headed elsewhere and then stood by waiting for the arrival of their playmate.
Results
After only two weeks, all six rats have learned to play, looking for Reinhold. Five of the rats also learned to hide, realizing that they had to do so when the box used for the game was closed. When it was open, the rats would move in search of their playmate.
Conclusions
The study confirmed the ability of rats to follow the rules of the game and recorded squeaks of happiness, a sign then that the rodents were having fun.
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