1/6 #AnimBehav2021 APOPO trains @HeroRATs (cricetomys ansorgei) to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis. But what makes a good Hero? Like humans, rats might exhibit unique personalities, which could contribute to their detection behavior and success.
2/6 #AnimBehav2021 @BroeckeBram worked with the @HeroRat team to design a GIANT open-field arena. We tested 25 rats (M & F, varying ages & training experiences). Using films of the rats, we categorized their behavior into categories: anxiety, exploratory, or locomotor.
3/6 Animal personality is reflected by repeatable individual behavior patterns across time and/or contexts. So to measure personality, we assessed each @HeroRATs behavior at 3 different timepoints. #AnimBehav2021
4/6 #AnimBehav2021 We found: 1) @HeroRATs have PERSONALITY! 2) Overall activity and anxiety behaviors reduced with repeated sessions (evidence of habituation effect). 3) Rat age and experience had no impact.
5/6 We also found an interesting sex difference: Female rats preferred exploring/digging in the soil tray compared to the males. Observing natural behaviors within an arena revealed interesting behavioral traits, suggesting our @HeroRATs have personalities. #AnimBehav2021
6/6 Next steps: 1) Determine if personality influences accuracy for specific scent detection tasks, if so 2) adopt pre-screening assessment for training assignment. Thanks for attending #AnimBehav2021. Interested in supporting APOPO – adopt a @HeroRat!
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