Habituation of electrically induced readiness to gnaw

Electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) produced a readiness to gnaw which decreased over time, exhibited spontaneous recovery, and could be dishabituated by foot shock. The response decrement was in part habituatory and could modify the interaction between a stimulation-induced readiness to gnaw and a physiologically induced hunger. Functional plasticity of stimulation-induced behavior might be accounted for, in part, by habituation.