Lick Your Rats!
Okay, I have diverted a little from hamsters on this one, but I find the information very interesting and the game if short and fun.
A website from the University of Utah has a page where you can learn about how a mother rat can affect the future path her pups will have by her behavior with them in the first week of life. How much she grooms and licks them will decide if they will be anxious rats when stress comes along, or if they will calm quickly after stressful situations, even when they are adults. She has the power to change then epigenomes, their genetics and how they behave.
I find it fascinating to uncover how we have such an impact on the genetics of others, beyond the sperm and egg. It makes me wonder how our society is changing how we adapt to our environment.
Are you an attentive rat mother? Click on LICK YOUR RAT to find out and learn more.