Diurnal patterning of eight activities in 14 species of muroid rodents

Baumgardner, Denis J.; Ward, Susan E.; Dewsbury, Donald A.

doi:10.3758/bf03199612

Cited by 44 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…Little is known about how much time free-living mice are actually active. Laboratory mice spend less than 50% of the 24 h day active (Baumgardner et al, 1980). However, this may be an under-estimate of activity in free-living mice whose environments are far more demanding.…”

Section: Behaviour Within the Territory: Stable Routines In A Varyingmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…During periods of inactivity, mice that are defending territories sleep alone or with their mate, while subordinate animals tend to sleep in groups (Crowcroft, 1966). In captivity, a large proportion of the time budget (17%) is also spent grooming (Baumgardner et al, 1980). This occurs sporadically during the active periods, and intensively after eating (Brown, 1953;Crawley, 2000).…”

Section: Behaviour Within the Territory: Stable Routines In A Varyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From house mouse to mouse house: the behavioural biology of free-living Mus musculus and its implications in the laboratory

Latham

Mason

2004

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

293

236

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Understanding a species' behaviour in natural conditions can give insights into its development, responses and welfare in captivity. Here, we review research and pest control literatures on the free-living house mouse (Mus musculus), analysing its sensory world, developmental processes and behaviour to suggest how laboratory environments might affect mouse welfare, normalcy, test design, and behaviour. Mouse development from foetus to weaning is influenced by prenatal stress and nutrient levels, and post-natal litter size and other factors affecting maternal care, all with lasting effects on adult bodyweight, aggression, activity levels, stress responsiveness and masculinisation. These influences may well be important in the laboratory, for example unwittingly differing between facilities leading to site-differences in phenotype. Murine senses are dominated by olfactory, auditory and tactile cues. Their hearing extends into the ultrasonic, and vision, from mid-range wavelengths to the ultraviolet. In mouse facilities, behaviour and welfare may therefore also be affected by sensory stimuli unnoticed by humans. The physical and social environment and behaviour of wild mice differ greatly from those of laboratory mice. Dispersal age varies with resource-levels and social cues, and mice often either live alone or in family groups. Mice occupy territories/ranges measuring a few square meters to several square kilometers, and which allow running, climbing, and burrowing. Mice are often active during dawn/dusk, and spend their time patrolling their territories, investigating neighbours' odour cues, foraging, finding mates and rearing litters. The potential impact of these many differences and restrictions on laboratory mouse development, normalcy and welfare has only begun to be explored.

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Section: Behaviour Within the Territory: Stable Routines In A Varyingmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Behaviour Within the Territory: Stable Routines In A Varyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

From house mouse to mouse house: the behavioural biology of free-living Mus musculus and its implications in the laboratory

Latham

Mason

2004

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

293

236

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“…Recently Baumgardner et al (1980) related diurnal activity patterning in several muroid rodent species to their respective food requirements, basal metabolic rates, and various environmental factors, using the same experimental methods.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data for from 6 to 42 species are available for home cage activity (Baumgardner, Ward, & Dewsbury, 1980), wheel running (Dewsbury, 1980), open-field behavior (Webster, Baumgardner, & Dewsbury, 1979;Wilson, Vacek, Lanier, & Dewsbury, 1976), sexual dimorphism for body mass (Dewsbury, Baumgardner, Evans, & Webster, 1980;Dewsbury & Dawson, 1979),copulatory…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral patterns of Djungarian hamsters: An adaptive profile

Sawrey

Baumgardner

Campa

et al. 1984

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorusi were observed in a series oflaboratory tests, including home cage activity, wheel running, open-field behavior, sexual dimorphism for body mass, copulatory behavior, tonic and dorsal immobility, climbing, digging, nest building, and parental behavior. Fourteen resulting measures were compared with previous results from this laboratory from a variety ofmuroid species. A cluster ofbehavioral adaptations emerged with several marked similarities to the behaviors of a group of North American Microtus species, whereas other behaviors appeared to more closely reflect the classification of the hamsters as cricetines. It is suggested that Phodopus and Microtus species may have evolved many similar adaptive characteristics in response to shared environmental variables.The description and understanding of the behavioral adaptations of organisms are tasks of major importance confronting students of animal behavior. With comparisons of a number of behavior patterns in a variety of species, clusters of behavioral adaptations emerge. These associations of behavioral adaptations, coupled with information regarding the ecological, morphological, and physiological attributes of members of related species, will lead to testable hypotheses concerning the relations among these variables. The resulting general laws may describe a complex of adaptations that are applicable across a wide selection of taxa (Jarman, 1982).Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea are numerous and widely distributed; they inhabit a great range of ecological niches, making them particularly valuable as subjects in comparative research. Most of these species are small, nocturnal, and generally secretive in their habits, making field observations of behavior difficult. However, laboratory investigations can allow direct comparisons of several species in a variety of standardized testing situations. In addition, laboratory tests can be selected that allow behaviors to be quantified easily and data to be collected quickly.Over the past 15 years, muroid rodents have been the subjects of a substantial behavioral research program in this laboratory.

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“…Besides the lack of functional studies on this specific topic, this analysis is also justifed because laboratory mice and other domesticated or wild rodents have a similar ultradian activity rhythm, that is, a rhythm with a periodicity of less than 24 hr. Indeed, in all these animals, numerous authors have mentioned ultradian rest/activity alternations in addition to a circadian rhythm of preponderantly nocturnal activity ( Kavanau 1963, Del Pozo et al 1978, Baumgardner et al 1980, Possidente et al 1980, Aschoff & Gerkema 1985, Schulz & Lavie 1985, D'Amato 1986, Sei et al 1991, Bauman 1992, Gerkema et al 1993, Conte et al 1994. Moreover, according to Beau (1988Beau ( , 1992, ultradian rhythms of laboratory mice have genetic components.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%