Can a male Dwarf hamster find its way through a maze by using its sense of smell? :By: Alex Aiello Can a male Dwarf hamster find its way through a maze by using its sense of smell?


Problem :Problem Can a male Dwarf hamster find its way through a maze faster by smelling hamster food or cheese?


Hypothesis :Hypothesis A male Dwarf hamster will navigate through a maze faster when in search of his standard food versus a foreign food.


Materials :Materials Card board Duct tape Male Dwarf hamster Hamster food (sunflower/pumpkin seeds) Shredded Mozzarella cheese Stop watch Ruler Two food bowls Measuring tape


Research :Research Discovered in 1930 Grow to about four inches Grey-brown fur Life span of one to two years Used for scientific research Disease-free Used for Cardiovascular research Cardiovascular system similar to humans Friendly and easy to handle Small but quick Nocturnal Near sighted


Slide 6:See objects best that are closer to them Have an acute sense of smell Whiskers help it feel its surroundings Big eaters High metabolisms Benefit from a varied diet


Procedure :Procedure Maze designed for moderate difficulty. Built on a 18” by 27” platform using a 3” by 3” grid pattern. Walls crafted from cardboard to be as high (to limit hamsters ability to climb or peer over walls. Tests run during evening when hamster is most active. Test run in low light to isolate sense of smell. Test run on consecutive days, alternating order of independent variable to minimize learned response.


Slide 8:A mature dwarf hamster measuring 4” long was used as a test subject. Independent variables were tested on subject prior to determine palatability. Through observation it was determined that hamster responded best to hamster mix. Through trial and error it was determined that hamster preferred mozzarella cheese over either cheddar or swiss. On the first, third, and fifth day test were run with seed mix (variable A) first then cheese (variable B) second.


Slide 9:On the second, fourth, and sixth day order was reversed. On each day two runs for each variable were performed in the forward direction and two runs in the backwards direction. Variables were placed in separate bowls to minimize spillage and cross contamination of maze across different runs. Each run was timed with a stopwatch. Results were averaged for each variable and a range determined.


Results :Results A: hamster mix B: cheese


Slide 11:The results on the chart are showing you that the hamster ran the maze faster by smelling hamster food. It took the hamster an average of 21.5 seconds


Conclusion :Conclusion Forty tests run It took the hamster 21.5 seconds to run the maze with a range of 37.5 seconds when he was smelling hamster food When he was smelling cheese it took him an average of 33 seconds with a range of 62 seconds My hypothesis was correct that he would run it faster by smelling hamster food


Sources :Sources About.com Hamsterhideout.com