Motion perception in rats (Rattus norvegicus sp.): Deficits in albino Wistar rats compared to pigmented Long-Evans rats

Motion perception was tested in pigmented Long-Evans and albino Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus sp.) using moving random dot patterns. Pigmented as well as albino rats could distinguish a fully coherently moving pattern from dynamic noise. However, motion coherence thresholds were significantly lower in pigmented compared to albino rats (12% and 30% coherence, respectively). These results indicate that pigmented rats have well developed motion coherence perception, whereas albino rats are severely impaired but not motion blind.