3 ms·

As a rat obsessed rat owner. Picky eater isn't quite right - Rats practice food neophobia and have a (oddly) highly developed vomeronasal organ, their olfactory

by neom 2y ago

As a rat obsessed rat owner. Picky eater isn't quite right - Rats practice food neophobia and have a (oddly) highly developed vomeronasal organ, their olfactory receptors are the highest density among animals, and their olfactory bulb is significant for an animal of their size and strength. It's thought the food neophobia simply comes from centuries of us trying to kill them. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1840504/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1840504/ (https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/0092-8674(91)90418-X.pdf https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/0092-8674(91)90418-X.pdf) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1233365/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1233365/

cheschire 2y ago
> It's thought the food neophobia simply comes from centuries of us trying to kill them. This must have been the issue my toddler was having too.
- Terr_ 2y ago
  Ah, but toddlers are indeed threatened by a subset of humanity known as themselves, so it's technically true! :p
- natmaka 2y ago
  Jokes based upon denying the antecedent are among the best ones!
encoderer 2y ago
They seem pretty careful all around. When I was just starting out I’d work all nighters in an office with a rat problem. One thing I tried was to trap them in a garbage can with a trap I devised and some good smelling food scraps. He took one look at it and never went near it again.
- neom 2y ago
  Yeah good luck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV9z0c1hjnA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV9z0c1hjnA :D :D :D :D
  - encoderer 2y ago
    Yeah YouTube has unlocked a lot of niche knowledge that in that era was on like page 27 of a pinned thread in a specific web forum.
  - dredmorbius 2y ago
    That is one very food-motivated, and chonky, rat.
user982 2y ago
Rats (and other rodents) physically cannot vomit. If they're not careful about what they eat, they don't get a second chance.

by neom 2y ago

cheschire 2y ago

> It's thought the food neophobia simply comes from centuries of us trying to kill them. This must have been the issue my toddler was having too.

Terr_ 2y ago
Ah, but toddlers are indeed threatened by a subset of humanity known as themselves, so it's technically true! :p
natmaka 2y ago
Jokes based upon denying the antecedent are among the best ones!

encoderer 2y ago

They seem pretty careful all around. When I was just starting out I’d work all nighters in an office with a rat problem. One thing I tried was to trap them in a garbage can with a trap I devised and some good smelling food scraps. He took one look at it and never went near it again.

neom 2y ago
Yeah good luck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV9z0c1hjnA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV9z0c1hjnA :D :D :D :D
- encoderer 2y ago
  Yeah YouTube has unlocked a lot of niche knowledge that in that era was on like page 27 of a pinned thread in a specific web forum.
- dredmorbius 2y ago
  That is one very food-motivated, and chonky, rat.

user982 2y ago

Rats (and other rodents) physically cannot vomit. If they're not careful about what they eat, they don't get a second chance.