The appetite for freediving differs between Sprague-Dawley and Long Evans rats
Abstract
Freediving in rats has emerged as a relevant model to study physiology and neural adaptation underlying submersion mechanisms. However, despite well-established strain-dependent differences in behavior and physiological responses, most studies about freediving rely on Sprague Dawley rats. As the choice of strain could significantly shape experimental results depending on the field of research, we conducted a behavioral comparative study between Long Evans (LE) rats, genetically closer to the Wild Norway rat, with the commonly used Sprague Dawley (SD) strain. We developed an 11-week progressive voluntary freediving protocol involving four distances (from 5 to 11 m), and assessed the rats' natural willingness to dive and swim, and identified several parameters for evaluation of their confidence (waiting time before diving, speed), performance capacity (freediving time) and population variability. We found that Long Evans rats were naturally more willing to dive and more confident, compared to Sprague Dawley rats: they showed better performance with longer time underwater and slower diving speed. We also uncover differences in their variability, at trial-to-trial intra-individual and population inter-individual levels, which can guide the choice of one strain over the other, depending on the aim of the scientific inquiry.
Related
- Further characterization of oral fentanyl self-administration in male and female Sprague Dawley rats
- Chronic {triangleup}9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Vapor Self-Administration Modulates Gut Microbiota and the Immune and Endocannabinoid Systems in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats
- Limited detection of Gulf War illness-like behavioral phenotypes in Charles River male Sprague-Dawley rats across multiple chemical and stress exposure paradigms
- Performance changes and neuromuscular alterations in sprague dawley rats following repeated occupational exposures to the pesticide malathion
- Hippocampal and large-scale functional connectivity reorganization following freediving training, and relationships with episodic memory
BibTeX
@article{chambrun2026appetite,
title = {{The appetite for freediving differs between Sprague-Dawley and Long Evans rats}},
author = {Laëtitia Chambrun and Jorelle Linda Damo Kamda and Laurent Vatrinet and Harquin Simplice Foyet and Roseline Poirier and Valérie Doyère and Marion Noulhiane},
journal = {Behavioural Brain Research},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116445},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05751399v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The appetite for freediving differs between Sprague-Dawley and Long Evans rats
AU - Laëtitia Chambrun
AU - Jorelle Linda Damo Kamda
AU - Laurent Vatrinet
AU - Harquin Simplice Foyet
AU - Roseline Poirier
AU - Valérie Doyère
AU - Marion Noulhiane
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/30
JO - Behavioural Brain Research
DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116445
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05751399v1
AB - Freediving in rats has emerged as a relevant model to study physiology and neural adaptation underlying submersion mechanisms. However, despite well-established strain-dependent differences in behavior and physiological responses, most studies about freediving rely on Sprague Dawley rats. As the choice of strain could significantly shape experimental results depending on the field of research, we conducted a behavioral comparative study between Long Evans (LE) rats, genetically closer to the Wild Norway rat, with the commonly used Sprague Dawley (SD) strain. We developed an 11-week progressive voluntary freediving protocol involving four distances (from 5 to 11 m), and assessed the rats' natural willingness to dive and swim, and identified several parameters for evaluation of their confidence (waiting time before diving, speed), performance capacity (freediving time) and population variability. We found that Long Evans rats were naturally more willing to dive and more confident, compared to Sprague Dawley rats: they showed better performance with longer time underwater and slower diving speed. We also uncover differences in their variability, at trial-to-trial intra-individual and population inter-individual levels, which can guide the choice of one strain over the other, depending on the aim of the scientific inquiry.
SN - 0166-4328
SN - 1872-7549
ER -