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Zoology Science Fair Project

Maze Learning in Hamsters and Mice

Hard
Maze Learning in Hamsters and Mice | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Can hamsters and mice learn to solve a maze faster with practice? You build a cardboard maze and place sunflower seeds at the finish. Then you send three hamsters and three mice through the maze one at a time, repeating the run ten times over ten hours. You time each run with a stopwatch. Both species get faster after every attempt. This shows they remember the paths. The mice complete the maze faster than the hamsters overall.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that both hamsters and mice are able to learn and remember, but mice are able to learn more quickly than hamsters.

Method & Materials

You will construct a maze using cardboard boxes, glue, and masking tape. You will then place food in the finish zone of the maze and drop the hamsters and mice in the start zone. You will time how long it takes them to find the food and record the results.
You will need 3 hamsters, 3 white mice, a packet of sunflower seeds, a variety of cardboard boxes, scissors, masking tape, glue, a stopwatch, and a meter-long ruler.

Results

The results of the experiment showed that both the hamsters and mice were able to improve their timings after every attempt, showing that they were learning and remembering the paths inside the maze. The mice were also able to complete the maze faster than the hamsters.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how animals can learn and remember, just like humans. It also shows how different animals can learn at different speeds.

Also Consider

Experiment variations include using a different kind of feed like dried shrimp, increasing the length of time between the attempts, and using young mice/hamsters instead of fully grown creatures.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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