Julian and Jackie schrieb:
> Why do these not dig if digging is caused by
> visual cues?
>
If gerbils don't find exactly, for what they instinctively are
searching/looking, maybe visually too, they take the nearest adequation
and try with it, if there is any possibility to succeed.
For them, there seems no much effekt even by intensive burrowing in the
corner, so they do not get the regulating stimulus, so finally it
becomes such a useless compensation, such a unfulfilled compulsive
behavior.
Whereas gerbils, which are experienced with burrows from young age on,
learn and know the difference between true burrows and the only similar
ones (or may be burrow-like looking visual cues? Well, I think, it may
have some *additional* influence on the *surface*, why not?? But it can't
be the only explanation. Deep in the burrow, there it is dark as the
night and burrowing there, which obviously occours too, can not depend
on visual cues...?!). In the true burrow, they can see or feel the done
work and will stop, when they think its enough.
So it becomes an *useful* experience.
Ehrenfried
--
http://home.wtal.de/ehr/gerbils/
