Effect of fluorescent powder marking of females on mate choice by male white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus).

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Matina C. Kalcounis-Rüppell, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Although fluorescent powder marking is a well established and common marking technique used by small-mammal ecologists, few studies have commented on how it might affect behavior. Potential effects on behavior are particularly relevant in studies that use fluorescent powder marking as a method of quantifying mating behavior. We performed a laboratory experiment using white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to test the null hypothesis that the presence of fluorescent powder has no significant effect on mate choice. We tested this hypothesis by establishing choice between a pair of females by a male and determining if the choice changed when one of the females was powdered. The presence of fluorescent powder on females did not alter mate choice by males after a choice had been established. Our results demonstrate that using fluorescent powder on females should not alter male mating activity.

Additional Information

Publication
American Midland Naturalist 146: 429-433
Language: English
Date: 2001
Keywords
Fluorescent powder marking, White-Footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus), Mate selection

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