Tests of preferences of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi) for individuals and their odors as a function of sex and estrous condition.

Odor Communication and Mate Choice in Rodents

“…Male rodents exert mate choice if they are offered simultaneously a mated versus an unmated female conspecific [ 111 , 112 ]. In nature, male rats, mice and voles will be more likely to encounter females sequentially [ 113 , 114 , 115 ]. Under such conditions, males may or may not be choosy about mating with each female they encounter sequentially [ 114 , 116 , 117 , 118 ].…”

Female mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki) prefer normally pigmented males to melanistic males.

“…A minimum sampling criterion was adopted similar to that used in other mate-choice studies (see Dewsbury, Ferguson, Hodges, & Taylor, 1986; Taylor & Dewsbury, 1988). Fish that did not sample both sides of the apparatus by the time half of the test period had elapsed were not included in the analyses.…”

Tests of preferences of adult deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi) for siblings versus nonsiblings.

“…Experiment 1 was designed to determine whether male deer mice would prefer the odor of their same-sex siblings to that of a strange, unrelated male. The same apparatus that proved useful in tests of preferences for soiled bedding from estrous versus diestrous females (Dewsbury, Ferguson, Hodges, & Taylor, 1986) was used.…”

“…The first task is to validate the apparatus by showing that it is sensitive and can yield preferences in situations demonstrated to yield preferences in other apparatus. In the bedding preference apparatus, male and female deer mice prefer bedding soiled by conspecifics to clean bedding (Dewsbury et al, 1986). If the new choice apparatus is sensitive, mice ought to spend more time near a conspecific than near an empty cage.…”