Tail pinch-induced eating: is it the tail or the pinch?

Mildly pinching the tail of the rat results in a set of consummatory behaviors including eating, chewing and licking. This phenomenon has been characterized as one which is not causally dependent on induction of pain. In the present study we report that pinching the scruff of the neck, the ears, or the rear paw of rats also results in consummatory behaviors similar to those observed during tail pinch. We suggest that stress-induced eating caused by pressure applied to various regions of the rat involves the perception of noxious stimuli (nociception).