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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:dateCreated
2002-12-3
pubmed:abstractText
Enhanced behavioral complexity may be observed when animals are tested in naturalistic environments and engaging in nonforced social interactions. For each of six experimental runs, different groups of five adult Swiss-Webster mice (four ovariectomized females and a single male) were maintained under 12h dark:12h light in a 122 x 122 x 30.5-cm open box containing six peripheral "nestboxes." On Day 1, females were released into the box first and their nesting behavior was observed. Two days later, each female was injected with estradiol benzoate and the male was introduced into the environment. Females were injected with progesterone (P) 48 h later and the animals were observed for an additional 14 h. Behaviors were recorded with a video camera suspended over the apparatus. Mating occurred only post-P and males always mated preferentially with certain females. The amount of nesting behavior per female on Day 1 correlated significantly with the number of times each female was mated by the male (r = 0.57, P < 0.005). In all but one run, the male ejaculated with the female who performed the most nesting behavior. While 63% of mating was in the open, 56% of nestbox matings resulted in female postmating darting to alternate nestboxes; in 19% of these cases, the female quickly returned to the mating nestbox and was mated there again. Direct approaches by females to the male and behaviors which affect pacing were observed. These behaviors have not been reported previously for mice and may provide additional endpoints for the exploration of hormonal and genetic influences on reproductive behaviors.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:author
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
294-306
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:articleTitle
Temporal and spatial quantitation of nesting and mating behaviors among mice housed in a semi-natural environment.
pubmed:affiliation
Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, The Rockerfeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.