Place learning by three vole species (Microtus ochrogaster, M. montanus, and M. pennsylvanicus) in the Morris swim task.

Place learning was assessed in three species of voles (Microtus ochrogaster, M. montanus, and M. pennsylvanicus) with the Morris swim task. The performance of all 3 species and both sexes improved with training on the hidden-platform version of the Morris swim task, which indicates that all groups were able to learn to locate a spatial goal without local cues. Contrary to expectations, no evidence for a sex difference in spatial ability emerged in any of the species. These findings do not provide support for current hypotheses that emphasize a positive correlation between home-range size and laboratory measures of spatial ability.