RICHMOND, Va. — An ongoing study at the University of Richmond has found that rats not only can drive but also seem to enjoy it. Researchers used treats like Fruit Loops to motivate the rats to operate small homemade rat cars.
These little cars have a lever that acts like a gas pedal, and the rats learned to steer them using special techniques. The rats even used tiny blinkers, and it looks like they prefer driving when given the choice.
"Day after day, week after week, they would see the car, run to the car, jump into the car, and drive," said Kelly Lambert, a researcher at the University of Richmond. "So they went out of their way to drive. It suggests that they prefer the driving over walking."
The researchers plan to conduct more tests, like racing the rats against each other, to see how competitive they are. This study shows how smart rats can be and reveals their ability to learn complex behaviors.
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