Odor Preferences of Weanling and Mature Male and Female Pine Voles

Abstract

Olfactory cues from conspecifics have strong influences on behavior. Both female and male juveniles are attracted to familiar odors while adults show preferences for odors of opposite-sex conspecifics. Females show an increased preference for male odors as they mature, but no study has examined whether change with age is seen in males. In this experiment, responses of weanling and mature male and female pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) to familiar odor cues from their family versus those of an unfamiliar, opposite-sex conspecific were examined. Voles were tested in a three-chambered cage with end chambers containing the stimuli. There was a significant difference in odor preference between weanling and mature females. Weanling females preferred odor cues from their families, and mature females preferred the odors of unfamiliar mature males. The pattern was similar in males but the effect was not as strong. The results support the hypothesis that responses to odor cues change with age in pine voles. At least for females, the change in response to odor cues may be involved in the timing of reproduction and thus dispersal.