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The social behaviors of the Rattus norvegicus, commonly known as the Norway rat, are far more complex than previously thought, according to a team of researchers from ELTE Eötvös Loránd University.

Their pioneering study is published in the journal Scientific Reports. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of rat social structures but also implies important lessons for developing psychiatric medications.

The rats were color-coded so that the automated system could track them 24 hours a day for eight months. The researchers at ELTE observed varied patterns of dominance and coexistence, challenging preconceived notions about rats and potentially human social interactions.

A series of recordings from the experiment can be viewed in the following video (showing a week's worth of the four colonies' nights in fast-forward, as the rats are mostly inactive during the day, sleeping or huddling together) Credit: The Department of Biological Physics at ELTE

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