Behavior of the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) in the open field and in response to a new object, in comparison with the rat.

We compared the behavior of the gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) and Long-Evans rats during repeated exposures to the open-field (OF) test. Animals were videotaped for 10 min on four consecutive days. A new object was placed in the center of the field on the third day and it was present there again on the fourth day. The rate of locomotor activity in the opossum was always higher than that in the rat. On the first exposure to the open field, both species showed strong thigmotaxy. On the second day, opossums shifted a significant part of their activity to the internal and central parts of the field, while thigmotaxy dominated in the rats' behavior till the end of the experiment. The frequency and time of exploration of a new object placed on the central square was higher in the opossums than in rats. They also showed higher frequency of rearings and lower defecation scores, while the time of grooming was similar to the rats'. These results, that are consistent with those of our earlier experiments in the elevated plus maze (EPM), show that in response to novelty Monodelphis opossums change their behavior from defensive to exploratory faster than rats and then explore it more intensely. These differences may be either a result of different ecologies or evolution of the two species.