Food stealing by young Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Six experiments were undertaken to explore factors affecting young rats' (R attus norvegicus) frequencies of stealing food from conspecifics when ident ical food is available in surplus. It was found that (a) rats would walk ac ross a bed of pellets to steal the particular pellet a peer was eating, (b) frequency of stealing within a pair did not decrease over days, (c) rats s tole unfamiliar foods more frequently than familiar foods, (d) younger rats stole from older rats more frequently than older rats stole from younger o nes, (e) hungry rats stole more frequently than replete rats, and (f) rats that had stolen a pellet of unfamiliar food from an anesthetized conspecifi c subsequently exhibited an enhanced preference for that food. Results sugg est that food stealing is a mode of active seeking of information about wha t foods to eat.