Conditioned taste aversion in lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis.

ABSTRACT

The lesser bandicoot rat after ingesting a sublethal dose of 0.025% zinc phosphide, in preferred food millet (Pennisetum typhoides) grains, for 4 days, showed aversion for 5-6 days towards plain millet offered in choice with the less preferred sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) grains. The aversion response to nontoxic bait was stronger (aversion index greater than 0.7) for first 3-4 days in individual and for 1-2 days in paired rats. 100% or more shift in aversion index from pre-treatment to post-treatment periods indicated that the aversive and naive partners of the heterosexual and unisexual female pairs mutually influence the feeding preferences of each other as a result of which they showed aversion for first 2-3 days to the plain food in which poison was given to one of the partner earlier.