If a never pregnant female rat is left for 5-10 days with a litter of babies, she will ____.
A) most likely kill them
B) initially ignore them, but eventually will become more attentive
C) initially be attentive, but eventually will ignore them
D) immediately respond to them as though she gave birth to them

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This behavior is known as maternal behavior priming, where exposure to the smell and sounds of pups can trigger the onset of maternal behavior in a female rat. Initially, the female may not show interest in the pups, but with continued exposure, she will become more attentive and start displaying maternal behaviors such as nursing and grooming. However, it's important to note that not all females will display maternal behavior priming and some may even cannibalize the pups.

If a Never Pregnant Female Rat Is Left for 5-10