Procedure
First, we put the Berkshire rat in the cage to live with the guinea pigs for the week. Then, we put the rat back into the cage with its brothers. The next day, we put the Berkshire rat into the guinea pigs' cage for two minutes and ten seconds, and took note of the behavior and activity that went on inside of the cage. Next, we put the tan-hooded rat in the cage for one minutes and thirty-seven seconds and again took note of the activity. Finally, we put the dominating male rate into the cage with the guinea pigs and again recorded the results of their behavior towards each other.Hypothesis
Our hypothesis was that the guinea pigs would act friendlier towards the Berkshire rat, which they had been acquainted with before the final testing took place, then they would be with the tan-hooded rat or the dominating male (Leaky), which they had never met before.Results
The results from our experiment were pretty interesting. Leaky and the tan-hooded rat had more attacks with the guinea pigs than the Berkshire rat did. While the Berkshire rat was in the guinea pigs cage, Geri (the older guinea pig) made a noise after fifteen seconds. After thirty-seven seconds, the rat started to sniff Geri's nose. Then, Geri attacked the rat after one minute and ten seconds, but the rat sniffed Geri again after one minute and thirty-seven seconds. Finally, the rat touched Creamy after one minute and fifty-seven seconds, and they began to sniff each other. We took that rat out of the cage after two minutes and ten seconds.
When we put the tan-hooded rat into the cage, there was about the same activity going on. There were three different attacks. One after five seconds another after eleven seconds, and the last happened after the tan-hooded rat was in the cage for twenty seconds. Then the rat sniffed Creamy after thirty-six seconds and again after one minute and ten seconds. After one minute and thirty-seven seconds had gone by, we took the rat out of the guinea pig's cage.
The results that we received when we introduced the dominating male to the guinea pigs were very different from the others. After Leaky was in the cage for just nine seconds, Geri got scared. Then, Creamy became frightened after fifteen seconds. Geri bit the rat after thirty-nine seconds. Then, Geri attacked the rat again after one minute and thirty-five seconds, and she attacked it again after one minute and fifty-three seconds had gone by. Creamy sniffed the rat after two minutes and ten seconds, but then the rat scratched Creamy after three minutes, so Creamy went back and attacked the rat after three minutes and fifteen seconds. After three minutes and forty seconds Geri attacked Leaky, but he defended himself. Geri finally showed dominance of the cage after four minutes. After four minutes and thirty seconds, Mr. Purnell feed the guinea pigs. After four minutes and fifty seconds Creamy and Geri began to eat. Leaky began to get mad and started to dig up and ruin the cedar inside of the guinea pigs' cage. Leaky kept on digging the cedar up until we took him out of the cage after six minutes and fifteen seconds.
Conclusion
We figured that it was only logical for the guinea pigs to be friendlier to the rat that they had been introduced to before, then they were to a rat that they had never met. Even though we kept the rats in the cage for different amounts of time, it was very obvious that the guinea pigs were much friendlier with the Berkshire rat then they were with the tan-hooded rat or the dominating male rat. So, I guess you could say that guinea pigs do remember.
