The effects of isolation from birth on the social behaviour of guinea pigs in adulthood

Abstract

Six male and seven female guinea pigs were separated from their mothers and siblings at birth and raised in individual, opaque-walled cages. Between the 80th and 90th days of age all were exposed briefly to a like-sexed congener of about the same size. On their 100th day the males were exposed to a receptive female; those failing to mate were caged with a female and retested at regular intervals. The isolated females were placed with a potent male during the first oestrus period following the 90th day. The isolates' behaviour was compared with that of eight males and nine females which had been socially reared, and who were tested in the same general manner as the isolates. The isolates all made contact with the stimulus animal between the ages of 80 and 90 days. Although they did more fur-nibbling and were more playful than the controls, their behaviour was not considered aberrant. When first paired with a receptive (or potent) member of the opposite sex the coital pattern of the isolates of either sex who mated was similar to that of the controls. It was concluded that interaction with congeners is not essential for the development of social behaviour in domestic guinea pigs, although various conditions may affect the likelihood of the males' displaying the copulatory pattern.