The social life of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Manon K Schweinfurth

doi:10.7554/elife.54020

Abstract

The Norway rat has important impacts on our life. They are amongst the most used research subjects, resulting in ground-breaking advances. At the same time, wild rats live in close association with us, leading to various adverse interactions. In face of this relevance, it is surprising how little is known about their natural behaviour. While recent laboratory studies revealed their complex social skills, little is known about their social behaviour in the wild. An integration of these different scientific approaches is crucial to understand their social life, which will enable us to design more valid research paradigms, develop more effective management strategies, and to provide better welfare standards. Hence, I first summarise the literature on their natural social behaviour. Second, I provide an overview of recent developments concerning their social cognition. Third, I illustrate why an integration of these areas would be beneficial to optimise our interactions with them.

Highlights

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus, hereafter referred to as rat) is one of the most abundant mammals with a nearly worldwide distribution (Galef, 2009; Puckett et al, 2016)
Almost all wild rats live in close association with humans, leading to various forms of adverse interactions (Barnett, 2001)
There is the general assumption that wild rats are not being prosocial towards their conspecifics (e.g., Barnett, 1957; Feng and Himsworth, 2014; Inglis et al, 1996). This stands in stark contrast to recent laboratory studies showing that rats are highly social animals that depend strongly on conspecific cooperative interactions and show elaborate prosocial behaviours, such as freeing trapped partners and exchanging favours (Mogil, 2019; Schweinfurth, 2020; Wrighten and Hall, 2016)

Summary

Introduction

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus, hereafter referred to as rat) is one of the most abundant mammals with a nearly worldwide distribution (Galef, 2009; Puckett et al, 2016). To reduce rat populations humanely and effectively, detailed knowledge on their individual behaviour and social interactions is needed (Himsworth et al, 2013b; Parsons et al, 2017). This stands in stark contrast to recent laboratory studies showing that rats are highly social animals that depend strongly on conspecific cooperative interactions and show elaborate prosocial behaviours, such as freeing trapped partners and exchanging favours (Mogil, 2019; Schweinfurth, 2020; Wrighten and Hall, 2016).

Results

Conclusion