Oestrous females investigate the unfamiliar male more than the familiar male in both commensal and non-commensal populations of house mice
2010
Abstract
We studied female preferences for familiar and unfamiliar males. The subjects were laboratory-born house mice: (1) non-commensal Mus musculus domesticus from the eastern part of Syria along the Euphrates River; and (2) commensal M. m. musculus from the Czech Republic.
Pair-choice preference tests have revealed that oestrous females of both populations sniffed towards unfamiliar males more than familiar males. In the case of females exhibiting postpartum oestrus, this preference was less pronounced and statistically not significant.
We conclude that neither commensal M. m. musculus nor non-commensal M. m. domesticus, are likely to share a monogamous mating system with mound-building mice.