Tag - Rats

First-Time Cocaine Use in Rats Highlights Individual Susceptibility to Addiction

Nose for it: For one group of rats, averse cues didn't stop them seeking out the rewardImage generated by DALL-EResearchers at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) explored how rats react to cocaine paired with an unpleasant stimulus, uncovering new insights into addiction vulnerability. In the experiment, nearly 30 rats self-administered intravenous...

Rats May Use Ultrasound to Enhance their Sense of Smell, a Study Suggests

Mice and rats could use ultrasonic pulses to boost their sense of smell. Credit: PixabayRodents communicate in sounds too high-pitched for human hearing, but scientists have discovered these vocalizations may serve another function—enhancing their sense of smell.The high-pitched squeaks of cartoon mice aren't too far from reality. For decades, scientists have documented rodents using...