Responses to Odors of Dominant and Subordinate House Mice (Mus domesticus) in Live Traps and Responses to Odors in Live Traps by Dominant and Subordinate Males

Abstract

Data from 16 0.1-ha field enclosures containing populations of wild house mice (Mus domesticus) were used to test two sets of questions. Do mice respond differentially to odors from dominant and subordinate males in live traps? Do dominant and subordinate males respond differentially to odors in live traps from other mice? A trap was considered odorized if it had captured a mouse during the previous week, during which there were always two trapping nights. Dominant and subordinate males did not differ with respect to the time they were alive in the enclosures, the frequency of capture, or home range size. Overall, mice were more attracted to the odor of dominant males compared to subordinate males. This difference was due primarily to the attraction of estrous and juvenile females to the traps odorized by dominant males. Dominant males were more likely to be captured in traps odorized by estrous females than in traps odorized by juvenile males or females, nonestrous females, or pregnant/lactating females. Subordinate males were caught more frequently in traps odorized by dominant males than were other dominant males. Conversely, dominant males were captured more frequently in traps odorized by subordinate males than were other subordinate males. Rates of capture of self-odor were higher for subordinate than for dominant males. The results may be explained by a combination of factors related to the social and reproduction systems of house mice.