Conditioned taste aversion can reduce egg predation by rats
-
Published source details
Massei G., Lyon A.J. & Cowan D.P. (2002) Conditioned taste aversion can reduce egg predation by rats. Journal of Wildlife Management, 66, 1134-1140.
Published source details Massei G., Lyon A.J. & Cowan D.P. (2002) Conditioned taste aversion can reduce egg predation by rats. Journal of Wildlife Management, 66, 1134-1140.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
Action | Category | |
---|---|---|
Use aversive conditioning to reduce nest predation by mammalian predators Action Link |
-
Use aversive conditioning to reduce nest predation by mammalian predators
A randomised, replicated and controlled ex situ experiment in the UK (Messi et al. 2002) found that administering thiabendazole orally to 33 rats after they ate either a chicken Gallus gallus domesticus or quail Cortunix coturnix egg reduced the rate that they subsequently fed on either chicken or quail eggs, compared to control rats. Experimental rats ate 83% fewer eggs over eight post-conditioning tests and spent 80% less time eating eggs. No rats offered the same type (chicken or quail) of egg as in the experiment ate it in the first post-conditioning trial and only 20% of those offered the alternative egg ate it. All effects grew weaker over the eight post-conditioning tests, with most experimental combinations being indistinguishable from controls after eight tests.
Output references
|