Popov S V, Klinov A B
Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 2009 Nov-Dec;59(6):750-6.
In behavioral tests based on the behavioral effect of novelty, an animal can be examined only ones--at "the first presentation". In studying individual and specific features, it is necessary to ensure the equal degree of novelty, but there is uncertainty concerning comparative roles of stable personality traits and uncontrolled chance factors in the results. The stability of some individual behavioral characteristics of Mongolian jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) was studied in two series of repeated cage-emergence tests. In the first series, the test was presented ones a week five times for each often animals. A week later, in the second series, the test was presented daily in two 5-day series with a 2-day interval. Characteristics such as the first emergence act latency, the total time spent in the cage during 10 minutes after the first return to the cage, and number of emergence acts during the same period were recorded. Mean duration of stay in the "open field" after emergence and mean duration of stay in the cage after entry were calculated. It was shown that these characteristics were individually stable in both test series. The results suggest that the examined characteristics reflect the individual traits of jird behavior.
