Hoarding of inedible objects by albino rats

Abstract

Albino rats were allowed to hoard a variety of inedible objects. All objects were hoarded during the initial trials, but marked preferences developed subsequently for objects which could be taken apart by gnawing. In addition, by presenting half of the group with either of two nonpartible objects for the entire experiment and presenting both objects on the last four trials, it was found that an object was hoarded more often when it was presented for the first time than when it was familiar. Therefore partibility and novelty seem to be factors which induce hoarding of inedible objects.