Comparing albino and hooded Wistar rats of both sexes on a range of behavioral and learning tasks

Abstract

Albino and hooded Wistar rats of both sexes were compared on several behavioral measures and learning tasks. Overall the most marked behavioral differences produced by albinism were reduced metabolism - as indicated by food and water consumption, defecation, and direct calorimetric measures of respiratory quotient and energy expenditure - and emotionality - as displayed in an open field, plus maze, and radial maze. No sex or strain differences were found for neophobia or preference for saccharin, but less tolerance of bitter (quinine) was shown by hooded rats and less tolerance of sour (HCl) by males. In learning tasks in restricted environments, comparable acquisition across groups was found for instrumental conditioning, appetitive classical conditioning, and taste aversion learning. However, hooded rats showed greater latent inhibition with auditory stimuli and more sensitivity to contextual cues, both in nausea-based conditioning and in the radial maze. Overall the results suggest that careful choice of rat strain is required in behavioral experiments where environmental factors are critical.