Submissive distance in the golden hamster Mesocricetus auratus

Observations on pairs of golden hamsters indicated that the average distance at which the animals show submissive behaviour patterns is significantly variable. This distance was significantly higher in hamsters which had been isolated than in those which had been housed in groups of four. Also, this distance was affected significantly for isolate animals by the previous amount of experience they had had in the observation box. Ranking animals by distance at which they showed submissive patterns was negatively correlated with a ranking by dominance.