Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Abstract

A study was conducted to retrieve information on the memory and hierarchical traits in mice, rats and guinea pigs by sequential separations and re-mixing at different time intervals and recording the aggression, dominance and submissive behavioural traits. The results of the study indicated that among the three species of animals studied, guinea pig was found to be the least aggressive. Loss of hair around the mouth due to severe fighting (barbering) was found to be more with mice than rat. Cage stereotypies shown by rats were clinging on the roof of the cage, biting the meshes of the cage and eating the plastic portion of the cage. Constant pacing or circling of the cage, gnawing of the bars were the cage steriotypies shown by mice. Animals of all species established stable, sound hierarchy within 24 h. It was concluded that all the species retained varying levels of memory that lasted for less than a week as indicated by increasing trend of the duration of the aggression in each episode.