The document summarizes an experiment that tested the long-term and short-term memory abilities of domestic rabbits. For the long-term memory test, rabbits were run through a multiple T-maze over three weeks to see if they could remember the maze pattern. Their times decreased significantly from week to week. For the short-term memory test, rabbits were exposed to novel objects but showed no response, making the results inconclusive. Limitations included small sample sizes and challenges with the maze design and handling of rabbits. Future research could improve on these aspects to better understand rabbit memory abilities.

1. Memory in
Domestic
Rabbits
Gillian Fralick

2. Introduction
 Research questions:
 Long Term Memory
 Is the long term memory of a domestic rabbit able
to retain a complex maze pattern over the course
of several weeks?
 Short Term Memory
 Do domestic rabbits have a short term memory
that allows for identification of novel objects in
their environment?

3. Background
“Habituation in rodents: A review of behavior, neurobiology, and
genetics”
Melanie P. Leussis, Valerie J. Bolivar
 Goes into the neurobiology and genetics of how habituation occurs at
different levels through the use of neurochemical, morphological, and
genetic factors.
 Habituation would result in decreased exploratory and motor activity
over repeated exposures to the test environment.
 There are four major transmitters that influence habituation:
serotonin, acetylcholine, dopamine, and glutamate.
 Serotonin- modulates short-term habituation
 Acetylcholine- plays a role in learning and memory
 Dopamine- Intrasession habituation
 Glutamate- memory retention

4. Background
A. Ennaceur, S. Michalikova, P.L. Chazot
 The researchers tested to see whether rats express neophobia (the
fear of anything new) towards novel objects.
 Rats were exposed to either an enclosed space or an open space
that either did or did not have an object for a set of successive
sessions.
 Rats exposed to an unfamiliar environment did venture into the
center of the field of an open space and they did make more entries
and spent more time in the center of the field of an open space and
enclosed space when it is occupied by an object.
 Direct exposure to an object recognition task without previous
habituation show that in the enclosed space and in the open space
rats spent more time on corners occupied with an object than on
empty corners.

5. Background
“Effects of Level of Motivation on Visual Discrimination, Transfer of
Learning, and Long-Term Memory in Previously Undernourished and
Control Rats”
J.M. Celedon, J.L. Smart, and J. Dobbing
 Rats were trained in the discrimination which they had been
habituated to. They were trained to discriminate between black and
white, where white was the positive stimulus. They were rewarded by
being allowed to drink from the water tube for 10 s.
 Long-term memory was tested by discriminating between vertical and
horizontal stripes and noting the performance without training.
 Results indicate that under nutrition had lasting effects on memory
and those rats required more trials to reach the learning criterion of
80%. It also seemed to impair visual discrimination performance.

6. Background
“Exploratory behavior of rats in mazes of different area and structural
complexity”
Uster, H.
 There were six groups containing six rats in each. They were all exposed
to the six mazes for a total of six minutes. This occurred for a total of six
consecutive days with a two day break at the end. The rats were then
retested.
 Rats have a tendency to direct their exploratory activity towards a more
detailed investigation of special parts of the mazes during the course of
repeated exposures.
 Results: Decrease of decision frequency and increase of transition times..
 The first run was characterized by stereotyped pacing off with only one u-turn
and relatively constant velocity, the run after 6 days showed many u-turns and
much more complex locomotion behavior.
 As a consequence of increasing experience, the rat is disposed to investigae
these parts in greater detal.

7. Methods
 Materials:
 4 Holland Lop does
 4 Dutch does
 Camcorder
 Stopwatch
 Multiple-T maze (bottom made of cardboard, sides made of foam
board. Hooked together with zip ties and gold fasteners. Hole
punch and knife used)
 2 softballs
 1 trilobite fossil
 3 2”x 2” colored pieces of foam board
 Shredded Wheat
 Travel carrier

8. Methods: Multiple-T Maze
 The rabbits were tested for three weeks on 2 consecutive days (Wednesdays-
Thursdays for the Holland Lops and Saturdays-Sundays for the Dutch) at as
close to the same time each day as possible.
 Due to the two breeds being located in two separate locations, the maze was
transported to both places and put together in the same room throughout the
experiment.
 The rabbits were brought to the testing room (which was not a natural setting
for them)

9. Methods: Novel Object Test
 The rabbit was placed in an unfamiliar environment that was
same for each rabbit. For three minutes, the rabbit was in the
environment with two neon softballs located on the same side
of the rectangle but in opposite corners. While in this setting,
the rabbit was able to move freely. After the time was up, the
rabbit was removed as well as one of the softballs. The
softball was replaced with a trilobite fossil. The rabbit was
then replaced in the environment for another three minutes.
Observations were noted on what the rabbit did during this
time.

10. Results: Multiple-T MazeDutch
Name First Day Second Day
HSD91 9:02:09 4:11:19
HSC66 20:00:72 7:28:66
HSD165 14:59:16 8:05:31
KT737 8:40:82 4:48:25
HSD91 8:28:41 6:17:56
HSC66 6:50:00 5:47:03
HSD165 2:26:28 1:20:37
KT737 2:42:16 2:23:88
HSD91 4:30:13 4:36:38
HSC66 5:26:00 3:10:18
HSD165 2:47:32 4:44:16
KT737 3:13:72 3:43:00
Holland Lops
Name First Day Second Day
Bridgette 24:00:00 5:37:41
Babe 4:28:09 2:29:28
Paris 7:53:77 6:43:97
Scarlett 31:35:00 8:03:28
Bridgette 7:47:23 5:29:32
Babe 2:48:69 1:45:72
Paris 6:47:96 10:29:97
Scarlett 11:20:32 6:30:29
Bridgette 3:16:88 3:39:91
Babe 3:13:38 1:43:37
Paris 4:38:63 5:10:28
Scarlett 4:02:91 5:54:47
Week One
Week Two
Week Three

11. Results: Video of maze

12. Results: Novel Object Test
 It was observed that the rabbits were unresponsive to
the change of objects used in the test. The test has
been deemed inconclusive to the study of memory in
this experiment.

13. Discussion: Multiple-T Maze
 While in the maze, when it was observed that the
rabbits were no longer engaged, they were tapped in a
means to regain their focus. It was not in a manner that
would persuade them to go any direction, just to get
their attention back on the task at hand. Similarly, when
it was observed that they had in a sense “shutdown”,
they were tapped as well.
 A few of the rabbits were marking the corners of the
maze as they went along. Observation of this behavior
noted that it was not in any way meant to help guide
them through the maze, but to just claim it as their own
in a possessive manner.

14. Limitations
 Sample size
 Equipment specifications/design
 Time
 Location of rabbits/maze
 Handling of rabbits

15. Future Research
 Use the same multiple-t maze design on a
daily basis
 Test all of the domestic rabbit breeds
 Compare to wild rabbits
 Use short-term memory experiments that the
rabbits will respond to

16. Works Cited
Celedon, J., Smart, J., & Dobbing, J. (1982, January). Effects of Level of Motivation on Visual
Discrimination, Transfer of Learning, and Long-Term Memory in Previously Undernourished and
Control Rats. Nutrition and Behavior, pp. 89-97.
Ennaceur, A., Michalikova, S., & Chazot, P. (2009). Do rats really express neophobia towards novel
objects? Experimental evidence from exposure to novelty and to an object recognition task in an
open space and an enclose space. Behavioural Brain Research, pp. 417-434.
Leussis, M. P., & Bolivar, V. J. (2006, January 17). Habituation in rodents: A review of behavior,
neurobiology, and genetics. Science Direct, pp. 1045-1064.
Uster, H. (1977, January). Exploratory behavior of rats in mazes of different area and structural
complexity. Activitas nervosa superior, p. 237.