Production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus mice in the wild.
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Matina C. Kalcounis-Rüppell, Professor (Creator)
- Jackie Dawn Metheny (Contributor)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: Background: There has been considerable research on rodent ultrasound in the laboratory and
these sounds have been well quantified and characterized. Despite the value of research on
ultrasound produced by mice in the lab, it is unclear if, and when, these sounds are produced in the
wild, and how they function in natural habitats.
Results: We have made the first recordings of ultrasonic vocalizations produced by two free-living
species of mice in the genus Peromyscus (P. californicus and P. boylii) on long term study grids in
California. Over 6 nights, we recorded 65 unique ultrasonic vocalization phrases from Peromyscus.
The ultrasonic vocalizations we recorded represent 7 different motifs. Within each motif, there
was considerable variation in the acoustic characteristics suggesting individual and contextual
variation in the production of ultrasound by these species.
Conclusion: The discovery of the production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus in the wild
highlights an underappreciated component in the behavior of these model organisms. The ability to
examine the production of ultrasonic vocalizations in the wild offers excellent opportunities to test
hypotheses regarding the function of ultrasound produced by rodents in a natural context.
Production of ultrasonic vocalizations by Peromyscus mice in the wild.
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Created on 1/1/2006
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Frontiers in Zoology 2006, 3:3
- Language: English
- Date: 2006
- Keywords
- Ultrasonic vocalizations, Peromyscus mice