Taste preference of Old World monkeys: I. A single-bottle preference test

Abstract

There have been relatively few published reports of the taste preferences of nonhuman primates due, in part, to the expense and relative difficulty associated with maintaining a large group of these animals. The present report describes a version of the single-bottle preference test that can be used effectively with small groups of macaque monkeys. Experiment 1 determined the optimal durations for the pretest water deprivation period, the test trial itself, and the posttest rehydration period. Experiment 2 used this procedure to examine intake of the four prototypical gustatory stimuli. The results showed that cynomolgus monkeys, like other species, accept solutions containing sucrose and isotomic saline and reject those containing quinine hydrochloride. Unlike most other species, however, these monkeys do not find moderate concentrations of hydrochloric acid aversive.