URINE MARKING IN POPULATIONS OF WILD HOUSE MICE MUS-DOMESTICUS RUTTY .3. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SEXES

The potential roles of urine marking for intersexual communication between house mice were examined within eight captive territorial family groups. The responses of resident males (dominant and subdominant adults, subadults and juveniles) and females (breeding and non-breeding adults, subadults and juveniles) were measured towards introduced urine marks from familiar resident, familiar neighbour and unfamiliar mice of the opposite sex. Responses were consistent with the hypothesis that males mark at a high rate to advertise their identity and dominance over their marked territory to other mice. Dominant males counter-marked all types of female urine at a high rate. Most females were attracted to marks from their resident dominant male but tended to avoid marks from neighbour and unfamiliar dominant males; non-breeding adult daughters were not significantly attracted to resident male marks and invaded the neighbouring territory persistently. Female mark responses were variable, though breeding females counter-marked urine from unfamiliar subadult and neighbour dominant males significantly more than they marked a patch of home or clean substrate. © 1990 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.