Paternal Behavior in a Natural Population of White-footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus)

Abstract

-Studies demonstrating paternal care in Peromyscus leucopus are conflicting; laboratory evidence suggests that males care for young at an early age, whereas evidence from small enclosures suggests that paternal care does not exist. This study demonstrates the association of fathers with their weaned young in a wild population of P. leucopus. Live trapping, nest boxes, radio telemetry and DNA fingerprinting were used to determine if and when males associate with their own young. We frequently observed adult males alone with juveniles of either sex after they were weaned. Paternity was likely in most cases, and was confirmed by DNA fingerprinting in some cases. We observed an adult male forage with >two young on two occasions. We did not observe adult females in association with weaned juveniles but often observed them with juveniles before weaning. These findings contradict laboratory studies in small cages and studies in small enclosures which did not observe associations of adult males with young after weaning.