and Summary 1. Influences of sounds, short-term motivation and arousal (alertness) on soundinduced pup-retrieving behavior of female house mice were studied in choice tests.2. The females respond significantly faster to key-stimuli (preferred ultrasonic call models) compared with non-preferred ultrasounds, given the choice between these two alternatives. In addition, response latency depends on the pre-response behavior, being shortest when the females are orienting and longest when they are nursing their pups (intermediate latencies after "active" broodcare, self-directed behavior, and warming the pups).3. Key-stimuli are significantly more often chosen after broodcaring activities than after other behaviors. 4. Retrieval time is generally longer after broodcaring behavior than after other activities. Retrieval time is not influenced by the presence or absence of sound during retrieval.5. Duration of control runs is longer when sound (key-stimuli or non-preferred ultrasound) is present compared with a no-sound situation.6. The behavior after the control runs (at the end of the tests) depends on preresponse behavior.7. The results are summarized and interpreted in a flow-diagram which semi-quantitatively describes the release and course of the behavioral sequence of pup searching and retrieving behavior in house mice.
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