Aggressive behaviour in related and unrelated wild house mice (<i>Mus musculus</i> L.)

Rowe, F. P.; Redfern, R. E.

doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.1969.tb02891.x

Cited by 65 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(1 reference statement)

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“…In established populations of M. domesticus, in contrast, intruders and subordinates usually take flight on encountering a dominant male within his territory (Hurst 1993) and chasing of unfamiliar intruders by territorial males and females can be extensive, even by subdominant residents (e.g. see Rowe & Redfern 1969). This is the behaviour expected of mice attempting to exclude others from their territory.…”

Section: Competitive Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social organization in the aboriginal house mouse,Mus spretus Lataste: behavioural mechanisms underlying the spatial dispersion of competitors

et al. 1996

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Abstract. Because rodents behave cryptically and often have large home ranges, the role of social defence in determining their spatial dispersion in grassland remains an enigma. Individual dispersion and access to resources could be determined mainly by the aggressive exclusion of intruders from large territories by residents, or by the scattered distribution of resources and avoidance of dominant competitors occupying preferred sites. The ways in which predictions from these two hypotheses correspond to intra-sexual competitive behaviour within unfamiliar dyads of the mouse Mus spretus, recently captured from two grassland populations, were examined. A series of tests in enclosures examined (1) exploration by intruders given a choice between a resident's soiled sites versus clean sites, or between resident-soiled sites versus sites bearing their own odour, in the absence of the resident; (2) the response of an intruder on meeting either the resident or another mouse, in an adjacent clean tunnel; and (3) the response of a resident to an intruder compared with mice meeting in a clean enclosure. In both sexes, dyads quickly established dominance relationships through brief attacks and chases, and static defensive postures, rather than persistent pursuit and flight. Intruders were strongly attracted to a resident's nest and subsequently were more aggressive towards the resident than towards an opponent from an unfamiliar enclosure. There was less differentiation in competitive behaviour and more mutual fighting between residents and intruders than between mice in clean enclosures, with relative body weight being the most important factor determining competitive behaviour. The results were thus more consistent with competition for dominance over suitable sites than investment in fierce aggression to drive competitors away.

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Section: Competitive Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social organization in the aboriginal house mouse,Mus spretus Lataste: behavioural mechanisms underlying the spatial dispersion of competitors

et al. 1996

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“…This was true for enclosed populations (Andrzejewski et al 1963, Crowcroft and Rowe 1963, Barnett and Evans 1965, Rowe and Redfern 1969 and for natural ones (McShea 1990). This is the basis for a frequent assumption that residents defend their individual or group home ranges against intruders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In contrast, mice trapped in different mounds showed aggression in pair encounters in a neutral arena. The last example corresponds with data from direct observation showing increased aggression in cage populations when intruders appear (Andrzejewski et al 1963, Crowcroft and Rowe 1963, Rowe and Redfern 1969. We used the method of pair encounters in a neutral arena for our semi-confined enclosure population, in order to test the behaviour of mice by analysing the quantitative scores for 4 behaviour patterns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…As the main response of mice to an intruder is an increase in aggression (Andrzejewski et al 1963, Rowe and Redfern 1969, Zolotarev 1980, Sokolov et al 1988, it may be assumed that behavioural patterns relate to whether mice belong to the same social group or to different, spatially-separated ones. In the case of this study, mice caught at the same trapping site were assumed to belong to the same family/social group, while those caught at different sites, especially in different pens, were considered members of different family/social groups.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1988, 1990. Mice are very aggressive towards intruders (Andrzejewski et al 1963, Crowcroft and Rowe 1963, Rowe and Redfern 1969, Guralnik et al 1972, Zegeren 1980, with aggressive behaviour in males being particularly obvious in the context of the establishment and defence of territory. In females, such behaviour appears especially in defence of the litter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behaviour of house mice in semi-confined conditions: influence of spatial separation and population size

Walkowa¹,

Котенкова²,

Adamczyk³

et al. 1998

Acta Theriol.

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M. 1998. Behaviour of house mice in semi-confined conditions: influence of spatial separation and population size. Acta Theriologica 43: 241-254.Quantitative scores for 4 behavioural patterns, especially those of an antagonistic nature, were recorded from wild individual of Mus musculus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 living in semi-confinement in an outdoor enclosure divided into four pens. The enclosure was "permeable", in that mice were able to move between pens and between the enclosure and the outside. The population was monitored by the capture-mark--recapture method. In the spring of 1988 and 1989 the behaviour of mice trapped in the enclosure was studied in unisexual encounters in a neutral arena. There were no significant differences in scores for behaviour in relation to the degree of spatial separation of the places of capture of individuals paired together (except in the number of attempts to escape noted for females in 1989 and the total activity noted for males in 1988). Males and females did not differ significantly in scores for aggressive behaviour, but mice were more aggressive and more active in 1989 when the population in the enclosure was smaller, than in 1988, when it was larger.

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Sex differences in aggressive behaviour in various strains of mice

Haug¹,

Mandel²

1978

Aggr. Behav.

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Two nonalbino inbred (C57 BL/6 and C3H/He) and one albino strain (Swiss) of mice were compared for female aggression toward intruders: 1 in period of lactation, 2 in nonlactating state and (3) in nonlactating state but previously rubbed with urine of lactating females; and for male aggression toward familiar or unfamiliar opponents. The results showed that resident females of the C57 and Swiss strain vigorously attack lactating intruders introduced into their cages. This effect was mediated by urinary cues emitted by the latter mice. It was also shown that Swiss residents displayed aggression towards nonlactating females, irrespective of their strain. Groups of C57 residents reacted most aggressively towards Swiss females, less aggressively towards C3H intruders, but did not show any aggression towards their own nonlactating conspecifics. In contrast, none of the C3H resident female groups displayed aggression towards intruding females of any category or strain. The results also showed that the males of the three strains displayed little (Swiss and C3H) or no aggression (C57) towards familiar opponents, whereas they directed increased aggressive responses towards unfamiliar ones. Comparisons among the three strains of mice revealed that Swiss males were the most aggressive in either situation. On the other hand, the finding that C3H males showed aggressive responses suggested that male and female aggression are, in this strain, under separate genetic or hormonal control.

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Aggressive behaviour in related and unrelated wild house mice (Mus musculus L.)

Abstract: S U M M A R YAggressive behaviour was observed to be rare in small family groups of confined wild house mice, Mus musculus L. Unrelated mice were attacked

Cited by 65 publications

References 9 publications

Social organization in the aboriginal house mouse,Mus spretus Lataste: behavioural mechanisms underlying the spatial dispersion of competitors

Social organization in the aboriginal house mouse,Mus spretus Lataste: behavioural mechanisms underlying the spatial dispersion of competitors

Behaviour of house mice in semi-confined conditions: influence of spatial separation and population size

Sex differences in aggressive behaviour in various strains of mice

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