The rat

Researchers in zoology, physiology, and experimental psychology have each helped reshape what scientists understand about how animals behave, and much of their overlapping work has centered on mammals, rats above all. This book gathers the main findings of these fields into one concise, richly illustrated volume that is easy to follow.

The author conducted his own original studies of wild rats, and his discussion of laboratory white rats, along with related research on other species, carries the same weight. His experience as a teacher shaped a clear, carefully organized text meant for students of zoology, psychology, and medicine.

Rather than promoting one school of thought in biology or psychology, the book draws on the work of all of them without committing to any single one. Its chapters cover movement through the living space, feeding, social and reproductive behavior, the analysis of instinct, the analysis of learned behavior, motivation and drive, and the relationship between the brain and behavior. A carefully selected bibliography, current as of the original edition, is included.