Learned and spontaneous magnetosensitive behaviour in the Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) |
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| Authors: | Sandra Malewski Sabine Begall Hynek Burda |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg‐Essen, Essen, Germany;2. Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Czech Republic |
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| Abstract: | Sensing the geomagnetic field, called magnetoreception, might be a helpful tool for an animal to orientate and navigate in its environment. Although several rodent species are known to be magnetosensitive, detailed insights into this sensory ability are rare and the underlying mechanism in mammals is still unknown. The magnetic sense of the Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) expresses a learned behavioural pattern. Here, we report evidence for magnetoreception based on learned cues as well as spontaneous magnetosensitive behaviour in a closely related species, the Roborovski hamster (Phodopus roborovskii), for the first time. The hamsters learned to build their nests in specific magnetic directions (nest‐building assay) and spent spontaneously more time exploring a magnet compared to a sham (magnetic object assay). Furthermore, an influence of weak radio frequency magnetic fields was observed and is discussed with respect to magnetoreception mechanisms. |
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| Keywords: | hamster magnetic object assay magnetic sense magnetoreception nest‐building assay Phodopus roborovskii |
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