Question

If gerbils are offered a choice between foraging for seeds in a safe plot or in a risky plot (one exposed to the simulated light of a full moon or one visited by a trained owl flying overhead), they would be expected to prefer the safe plot under all conditions. when the risk involved the owl rather than the moonlight. when the risk involved the moonlight rather than the owl. as long as the number of seeds was the same in the two plots

Answer 1

Gerbils are likely to prefer the safe plot regardless of the source of the risk or the number of seeds in the two plots. This is because gerbils, like many other animals, have an innate preference for safety and tend to avoid risky situations that may threaten their survival. In this case, the presence of an owl or simulated moonlight in the risky plot could be perceived as potentially dangerous by the gerbils, even if the number of seeds is the same as in the safe plot. Therefore, the gerbils are expected to consistently choose the safe plot over the risky one, regardless of the source of the risk or the number of seeds available.