Mouse exploration and choice of nestboxes differing in size

Abstract

In this study, mice's preferences for nestboxes of various sizes were investigated by using, in social conditions, a progressive elimination procedure. Male and female groups (Experiment 1) preferred the medium-small nestbox (15 em in diameter) as a nest site, followed by the next smaller or next larger one; the largest boxes were chosen last. The order of initial exploration gave different results, with the mice ranking the nestboxes in this case by decreasing order of size. No systematic gender-or group-size-related effects were observed. Six groups of 2 male mice and four groups of 3 male mice (Experiment 2) were subjected to two elimination tests among nestboxes that differed in either both their inner and outer dimensions (matched condition) or their inner dimensions alone (mismatched condition). Except for the smallest nestbox, which was rejected by the mice, the order of preference for nestboxes was linear, in the direction of increasing size. No difference was observed between matched versus mismatched conditions. By contrast, the initial visits (and the number of visits) took the order of decreasing nestbox size, but only in the matched condition, in which the outer dimensions varied; in the mismatched condition, in which the nestboxes were identical on the outside, the various inner dimensions were not found to have any systematic effect on exploratory activity. These results are discussed in terms ofthe relevance of the spatial features, depending on the motivation (exploration or nest establishment) underlying behavior at a particular time.Two basic biological functions underlie nest building and nest-site choice in mammals: (1) "to protect the animal from the extremes of heat and cold of the environment," and (2) "to provide a place in which to bear and raise its young" (Lisk, Pretlow, & Friedman, 1969). Nest building is thus assumed to be a physiological behavioral complex (Lynch, 1973) that promotes the survival of an individual and the species it belongs to. The present study was not devoted to the study of nest building in itself but rather to the short-term aspect of nest-site choice and the circumstances that surround choice making. It focused especially on investigating which spatial properties of possible nest sites satisfy the animals' search for physical comfort, which is the most conspicuous motivation underlying nest establishment (Mulder, 1975). Buhot-Averseng (1981) observed that mice, as individuals, first chose as their nest sites the smaller, rectangular ones among a set of nestboxes that differed in shape (rectangular, square, circular) and size (two modalities). When not seeking nest sites, the same subjects displayed the reverse tendency by exploring the larger nestboxes

Investigations into the preferences of laboratory rats for nest-boxes and nesting materials

“…A literature search revealed that although the preferences of mice for nest-boxes and other shelters have been studied (Buhot-Averseng 1981/ Buhot 1987, Ward & DeMille 1991, Van der Weerd et al 1996, similar studies have not been carried out in laboratory rats. Nestboxes have been commercially produced and tested for mice and some larger versions of these devices were available, but they had not been tested with rats.…”

Effects of a shelter on open-field activity of rats (<I>Rattus norvegicus</I>) and mice (<I>Mus musculus</I>)

“…These results can be interpreted by the concept of shelterphobia, too. Buhot (1987) described that when several shelters of different size were available, mice entered the largest shelter first and the smallest one last; this finding may also be related to shelterphobia.…”

Resource location and structural properties of the nestbox as determinants of nest-site selection in the golden hamster

“…She found, in individual mice, a preference for the smaller, reetangular nestboxes, despite a more intense exploration oflarger ones (e.g., Buhot-Averseng, 1981). When tested socially, mice were observed to take size into account (BOOot, 1986), and reject the smallest of aseries ofboxes, maintaining, however, a linear ranking ofpreference for all the others inversely proportional to increasing size (Buhot, 1987).…”

“…Buhot's (1986Buhot's ( , 1987 results suggest that the influence of structural features depends on the type of activity mice are engaged in: criteria for exploratory behavior differ from those used during nest establishment.…”

“…Experiments by Buhot (1986Buhot ( , 1987Buhot ( , 1989BuhotAverseng, 1981), which are among the few recently published on the topic, show that white mice, when tested in groups, tended to use the size of the nestbox as their main choice criterion, and that shape can also be taken into account: reetangular nestboxes were chosen from a set that included rectangular, square, and circular nestboxes. Buhot's (1986Buhot's ( , 1987 results suggest that the influence of structural features depends on the type of activity mice are engaged in: criteria for exploratory behavior differ from those used during nest establishment.…”