Sound localization in wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

The ability of three wild Norway rats to localize sound was determined for single clicks and 100-ms white noise bursts. Chance level localization thresholds were 12 degrees for clicks and 9.7 degrees for white noise. A comparison of these results with published localization thresholds for the domestic albino rat yielded no significant differences. It appears that the combined effects of domestication and albinism have not affected the ability of the laboratory rat to localize sound. Instead, the relatively poor localization acuity of these rats appears to be part of the normal variation in sound localization acuity found among different species of mammals.