Hoarding is a species-typical behavior shown by rodents, as well as other animals. By hoarding, the rodent secures a food supply for times of emergency (for example, when threatened by a predator) or for times of seasonal adversity such as winter. Scatter hoarding, as seen typically in squirrels and birds, involves placing small caches of food in hidden places, generally underground. Most rodents, however, hoard a supply of food in or near the home base--for example, in 'larders' near the sle...