In 2014, a team of Dutch researchers set out to perform an uncommon experiment. They set out a hamster wheel in the wild to see whether mice in the wild would play with it like mice in captivity. Not just did the wild mice play with the wheel, but frogs, rats, shrews, and even slugs likewise interacted with the wheel– and this might have important ramifications for animal welfare, and even our understanding of animal interest.
Wheel running in the wild
” Our outcomes indicate that while the number of sees to the recording site reduced when no food existed, the fraction of sees consisting of wheel running increased. This indicates that wheel running can be experienced as satisfying even without an associated food reward,” the researchers compose.
The main runners were mice, with many of them running on the wheel and then off and then on once again– one mouse ran for a whopping 18 minutes.
” If wheel running is certainly triggered by captive housing, wild mice are not anticipated to use a running wheel in nature. This, however, to our knowledge, has never been evaluated. Here, we reveal that when running wheels are placed in nature, they are regularly used by wild mice,” the scientists discussed in the study.
Its most likely that theres more than just one inspiration at play, however whatever the case might be, one thing is for sure: mice dont just utilize the wheel in captivity, they also use it in the wild. This is feeding a natural desire for them, not developing an artificial requirement. This might have implications both for individuals keeping mice as pets, and for researchers utilizing laboratory mice.
They set out a hamster wheel in the wild to see whether mice in the wild would play with it like mice in captivity. Not only did the wild mice play with the wheel, but frogs, rats, shrews, and even slugs likewise communicated with the wheel– and this might have important implications for animal well-being, and even our understanding of animal interest.
The results were so motivating that researchers established another wheel and electronic camera in a neighboring dune location that was not available to the basic public. This second wheel was left in location for a year and a half.
Remarkably, the animals kept gathering at the wheel. All in all, the team tape-recorded over 200,000 animals using the 2 wheels over a three-year period. The main runners were mice, with many of them operating on the wheel and after that off and after that on once again– one mouse ran for a massive 18 minutes.
For pet and laboratory mice, running wheels are often utilized as a way to get the animals to increase their activity levels. But some have actually argued that mice use these running wheels merely since they live in cages, and they would not do it in the wild.
When the food was taken away from the wheel, the variety of check outs dropped substantially, however still didnt reduce to no. Also, some mice utilizing the wheel were observed to be too young to have understood that there was ever a food benefit; simply put, they were simply using the wheel for the sake of it.
No one had actually tested this until 2014, when Johanna Meijer and Yuri Robbers chose to attempt it out.
Journal Reference: Wheel running in the wild, Published 21 May 2014 DOI: 10.1098/ rspb.2014.0210.
This begs the question of why animals run in wheels when theres no reward. This idea is backed by the fact that when the food was taken away from the wheel, fewer animals showed up– but those that did show up were more likely to use it.
” If wheel running is undoubtedly triggered by captive housing, wild mice are not expected to use a running wheel in nature. Granted, the frogs would only jump around the wheel (which activated it), and the slugs appeared to be merely curious as to what the wheel was or simply climbing up a new surface– but the other animals properly rolled the wheel.
They established a running wheel in their yard and positioned an infrared cam to movie how animals in the wild would react. The wheel was put inside an enclosure with a small entranceway that would keep the smaller animal safe from bigger predators. They likewise cheated a bit and left some food near the wheel to attract animals to the location.
Numerous animals use the running wheels, though mice are without a doubt the most typical. Image credits: Meijer and Robbers.
A lot of animals started using the wheel. It was mostly mice, however a couple of shrews, frogs, rats and slugs were also drawn to it. Approved, the frogs would only leap around the wheel (which triggered it), and the slugs appeared to be simply curious regarding what the wheel was or simply climbing a brand-new surface area– but the other animals properly rolled the wheel.