Identify the problem

DO GERBILS HAVE ANY MEMORY OR THEY ONLY REACT BY INSTINCT?

Looking for information • We looked for information mainly in internet

and in videos of YouTube. That gave us good ideas to perform an experiment.http://www.outube.com/watch?v=uT6frsNMy

Hypothesis

• Gerbils have a certain level of intelligence and we think that

they can memorize easy tasks

To know if our hypothesis was correct we create an Experiment:

To build a labyrinth was needed

MATERIALS

• Cardboard feather.• Stickers of colours.• Glue.• Lining of books.• Camera.• Gerbils (my pets)• Food for Gerbils.

We wanted to know if these animals had the capacity to learn and memorize the correct path to leave the labyrinth or simply they

tried to escape using their instinct.

Planning & Procedures

• To discover what method guides them , we have made a labyrinth whereby they have to follow the right path in order to find the exit.

• First, we put some food on the path.

• Afterwards , we repeat the same experiment removing the food progressively.

Planning & Procedures

Next, this time we repeat the process without food.

Finally, we used coloured stickers to identify if that was of any use

for the gerbils to find the way out.

Analyze the Data • We tried to prove this by using a video

recording. This can be seen in the following video clip.

CONCLUSIONS

• After recording this video we have come to the conclusion that although gerbils are guided primarily by the stimulus of food, they have some ability to learn things, but closely linked to get a reward.

• The time they spent to find the way out was shorter at the end of the process. Here they showed their intelligence.

• Another thing that we noticed is the indifference towards colors, which also explains that they haven't any reaction to colors. This may result into thinking that they see only in black and white.

In addition, they can also learn tricks that improve

their intelligence stimulating them.

VIDEO

But, this is an ongoing study….