The Laboratory Rat: A Natural History

This video film has been digitised in broadcasting quality and is available on YouTube.

Shot as a wildlife documentary over several months, the video follows the lives of laboratory rats after being released in a large outdoor enclosure where they have to compete, like their wild relatives, for food, shelter and mates. As the viewer witnesses the emergence of a complex and structured society which soon thrives in this wild environment, the video illustrates topics which are both central in Zoology and relevant to those keeping rats in captivity. They include: Food selection & the omnivores paradox; Dominance hierarchies; Anti-predation; Communication (olfactory and ultrasonic); Habitat selection and orientation; Mating strategies and sexual selection; Birth & Infanticide; Neophobia.

Running time: 27 minutes. Suitable for those who keep rats in captivity for scientific purposes or as pets. It is also suitable for those studying animal behaviour. A review of this product is available in Laboratory Animals, April 2003, Volume 37 (2), pages 173-174.

Version: July 2002