A Neuroscientist's Guide to the Vole

Abstract

Prairie voles have emerged as an important rodent model for understanding the neuroscience of social behavior. Prairie voles are well known for their capacity for pair bonding and alloparental care. These behavioral phenomena overlap with human social behavior but are not commonly observed in traditional rodent models. In this article, we highlight the many benefits of using prairie voles in neuroscience research. We begin by describing the advantages of using diverse and non‐traditional study models. We then focus on social behaviors, including pair bonding, alloparental care, and peer interactions, that have brought voles to the forefront of social neuroscience. We describe many additional features of prairie vole biology and behavior that provide researchers with opportunities to address an array of research questions. We also survey neuroethological methods that have been used with prairie voles, from classic to modern techniques. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of other vole species, particularly meadow voles, and their own unique advantages for neuroscience studies. This article provides a foundation for researchers who are new to working with voles, as well as for experienced neuroscientists who want to expand their research scope. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Metabolic Implications of Birth via Cesarean Section in Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)

“…During comparable changes in ambient temperature, lab mice show a dramatic shift in heart, changing from 603 to 363 bpm, a decline of 40% (Swoap et al, 2008). Thus, whereas mice find conventional housing conditions to be a chronic cold stress (Ganeshan & Chawla, 2017; Kokolus et al, 2013; Maloney et al, 2014a), the present findings support the view that prairie voles have a greater tolerance for variation in ambient temperature and thereby escape such chronic stress (Kenkel et al, 2021). Indeed, prior work has found that the thermoneutral range for prairie voles extends down into conventional ‘ room temperature’ (Beck and Anthony, 1971).…”

“…Prairie voles have several adaptations suited to their year-round activity in their native habitat in the upper Great Plains of North America, including short tails and the genus’ eponymous small ears, both of which serve to reduce heat loss. Because the chronic cold stress posed by conventional housing conditions has led to spurious findings in studies of mice, these results suggest that the comparably sized prairie vole may offer advantages over traditional laboratory rodents (Kenkel et al, 2021). Species differences in thermoregulation are critically important to studies of metabolism, such as in the present experiment 2, because the chronic cold stress faced by mice and rats in conventional housing conditions acts as a major burden on the energy budget, ultimately slowing the development of weight gain.…”

Individual differences in social attachment: A multi‐disciplinary perspective

“…Moreover, paired prairie voles in captivity expressed tolerance towards their mates but were aggressive towards novel opposite sex individuals. This body of work led to the consensus that prairie voles are one of the few mammals that form long‐lasting female–male attachments, or “pair bonds.” Since this discovery, several labs have sought to understand the evolution and neural mechanisms of prairie vole pair bonds, and specifically, of individual variation in bonding behavior 151 . Here, we review how research on prairie vole pair‐bonding strategies has integrated evolutionary, developmental, and mechanistic approaches to explore individual variation in behavior related to the expression of male–female social attachments.…”

Selectivity and Sociality: Aggression and Affiliation Shape Vole Social Relationships

“…Prairie voles are socially monogamous rodents that have been well-studied for their pair bonding behavior and biparental care (reviewed in Carter, 2017 ; Gobrogge et al, 2017 ; Walum and Young, 2018 ; Kenkel et al, 2021 ). Prairie voles are native to grasslands, primarily in the midwestern United States, where repeated live trapping has revealed that social groups are often comprised of male-female reproductive pairs, characterized by overlapping home ranges, shared nests, territoriality, and mate-guarding ( Getz et al, 1993 ; Getz and Carter, 1996 ; Madrid et al, 2020 ).…”