Territoriality in Wild House Mice, Mus musculus L

Crowcroft, Peter

doi:10.2307/1375908

Cited by 121Animal Behavior and ReproductionAnimal Ecology and Behavior StudiesWildlife Ecology and Conservation

Territoriality in Wild House Mice, Mus musculus L

Crowcroft, Peter·1955·Journal of Mammalogy

DOI 10.2307/1375908

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Abstract

A number of workers have studied the social relationships that develop among caged groups of laboratory mice (reviewed by Scott and Fredericson, Physiol. Zool., 24:273–309, 1951). Brown (Ecol. Mono., 23:217–240,1953) observed fighting among wild mice in the free state and found that social hierarchies were formed in groups confined in small pens. My observations confirm that social hierarchies develop in small colonies under certain conditions, but suggest that fighting tends to disperse the population into spatially distinct breeding areas initially occupied by one male and one or two females, i.e. that it is territorial in function. In certain experimental colonies the social order provides a working model illustrating some of the ideas put forward by Burt (Jour. Mamm., 24:346–352,1943). One such group consisted of 28 mice of each sex confined in a 250 sq. ft. enclosure provided with 14 wooden nest-boxes, abundant nesting material, food and water (Fig. 1...

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Males introduced to a new habitat quickly start to defend it, vigorously attacking any other male in sight.
“Males introduced to a new habitat quickly start to defend it, vigorously attacking any other male in sight.73,78,79”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [78]

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Adaptations of the four-striped field mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio, Sparman 1784) to the Namib Desert
Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät, I., Bonn, R. F.-W.-U., & Dezember, B. (2002) · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Evidence for a territorial marking factor of mouse emotionality
Egan, O., Royce, J. R., & Poley, W. (1972) · Psychonomic Science · doi:10.3758/bf03328959 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Induction of territorial dominance and subordination behaviors in laboratory mice
Battivelli, D., Boldrini, L., Jaiswal, M., Patil, P., Torchia, S., Engelen, E., Spagnoletti, L., Kaspar, S., & Gross, C. T. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-75545-4 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Calculation of area of animal activity by use of median axes and centers in scatter diagrams
Mohr, C. O. (1965) · Population Ecology · doi:10.1007/bf02518791 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
PBI creams
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Neural control of sex differences in affiliative and prosocial behaviors
Mikulovic, S., & Lenschow, C. (2025) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106039 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“…living solitary or with a couple of females thereby being highly territorial and aggressive to other males while female mice live in groups with other females and are generally tolerant and socially oriented to other females (Bronson, 1979; Crowcroft, 1955; Lloyd, 1975; Reimer and Petras, 1967).”
Social Exclusion Changes Histone Modifications H3K4me3 and H3K27ac in Liver Tissue of Wild House Mice
Krause, L., Haubold, B., & BÖRSCH-HAUBOLD, A. G. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133988 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
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An empirical study of the structure of the patrol/marking motivational system in the rat
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“The various behaviors pertaining to patrol/marking have been described and called "patrol l ing" in males of a number of muroid rodent species, including mice [16], lemmings [9], Apodemus sp.”
Background
Musculoskeletal mass and shape are correlated with competitive ability in male house mice (Mus musculus)
Cooper, A. N., Cunningham, C. B., Morris, J. S., Ruff, J. S., Potts, W. K., & Carrier, D. R. (2020) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.213389 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“This trade-off may be particularly relevant for highly competitive males, which travel regularly in order to patrol their territories for potential intruders (Crowcroft, 1955).”
Background

Authors: Crowcroft, P.
Corresponding author: Crowcroft, Peter
Venue: Journal of Mammalogy
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 1955-05
Volume: 36
Issue: 2
Pages: 299
ISSN: 0022-2372 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.2307/1375908
OpenAlex: W2322443457
Cited by: 121
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
FWCI: 2.85
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Mammalogy (publishedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Keywords: territoriality, house mouse, Mus musculus, social hierarchy, breeding sites, population dispersal, nesting behavior, colony organization

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Territoriality in Wild House Mice, Mus musculus L

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