Sexual Maturation of Male and Female White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis): Influence of Physical or Urine Contact with Adults

Abstract

Young white-footed mice were reared from weaning (21–24 days of age) in contact with individual adult males or their urine, individual adult females or their urine, or water. At 40 days of age the young animals were killed and their body and reproductive organ weights (testes and seminal vesicles or uteri and ovaries) were compared. Males reared in contact with adult females or their urine had developed larger testes and seminal vesicles than those in contact with water, adult males, or male urine (generally P < 0.05). Females in contact with adult males or male urine had significantly ( P < 0.05) smaller ovaries than those in contact with water, adult female urine, or adult females. Body weights of females in contact with males or male urine also averaged significantly less than those in contact with water. Additionally, females in contact with adult males or adult male urine had significantly fewer corpora lutea than those exposed to water.