Laboratory Tests of Species Discrimination in Three Species of Peromyscus

Abstract

Species discrimination by Peromyscus boy Hi (brush mouse), P. manicu- <br /><br />latus (deer mouse), and P. californicus (California mouse) was investigated in the <br /><br />laboratory using a computerized data collection system that recorded time spent <br /><br />adjacent to each of two stimulus mice. In tests between P. maniculatus and P. <br /><br />boylii, male and female P. boylii chose significantly to spend more time adjacent <br /><br />to the conspecific stimulus mice. Other groups of test mice did not spend signif- <br /><br />icantly more time next to either stimulus mouse. Behavioral differences in relation <br /><br />to captivity may be correlated with differences in tendency to associate with <br /><br />conspecifics in laboratory experiments.