Preference for novel food in a familiar versus unfamiliar context: a pilot study on C57BL/6J mice

Many experiments using rodents include in their design palatable food baits. C57BL/6J mice were allowed to choose between two palatable foods (cheese and chocolate), then they were exposed to the preferred bait for three subsequent trials. The last exposure was performed in a novel environment. A preference for the cheese bait emerged, foraging frequency being not affected by novelty, suggesting that the motivation for palatable food might overcome the avoidance for novel environments characterizing rodents. These results point to highly preferred baits as useful tools to attract rodents in areas where delayed effect poisons may help to eradicate rodent pests.