Effect of a social companion on the ultrasonic vocalizations and contact responses of 3-day-old rat pups

Abstract

Rat pups that are isolated in a novel environment emit ultrasonic calls. Vocalization in 3-day-old pups has been thought to be predominantly under thermal control (Allin & Banks, 1971). By the 2nd week of life, ultrasonic vocalizations are reduced when pups are tested in the company of a single anesthetized littermate (Carden & Hofer, 1990a; Hofer & Shair, 1978). In the present study, it was demonstrated that the vocalization rate of 3-day-old pups is also decreased when an anesthetized littermate is present in the isolation chamber. To determine whether this quieting was a function of the body heat of the companion, in a 2nd experiment, the axillary temperature of the companion was lowered until it was the same as the ambient temperature of the test chamber, 22 degrees C. In the presence of a cool companion, ultrasonic vocalizations were also reduced. For the last experiment, a textured plastic surrogate was substituted for the littermate. Calls were not diminished in the presence of the surrogate.