TY - JOUR
T1 - Response of male and female Siberian hamsters towards pups
AU - Gibber, J. R.
AU - Piontkewitz, Y.
AU - Terkel, J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank M. Jakubowski, S. Hellwing, L. Reich, and V. Soroker for comments on the manuscript and Mrs. Carmel Meyer for typing the manuscript. J.R.G. was supported by NIH, National Research Service Award NS07028 from the NINCDS, and by a George S. Wise Fellowship. Send requests for reprints to Dr. J. R. Gibber at Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada.
PY - 1984/11
Y1 - 1984/11
N2 - The influence of sex, reproductive maturity, and parental experience on the behavior of Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus sungorus) toward strange pups was examined in this study. Immature, mature, or parentally experienced male and female Siberian hamsters were presented with 3- to 8-day-old pups. We recorded pup carrying during the initial 10 min, nesting with pups after 8 or 14 h, and attacking pups during the test period. Among inexperienced animals, more mature males attacked pups than did immature males or mature females. Parental experience significantly decreased pup attacks by males and increased nesting with pups by both males and females. Repeated testing did not modify the responses to pups. We conclude that in Siberian hamsters both caretaking and aggressive responses to pups may be shown by immature and mature animals of both sexes. Parental experience resulted in increased caretaking by males and females and decreased aggressive responses by males.
AB - The influence of sex, reproductive maturity, and parental experience on the behavior of Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus sungorus) toward strange pups was examined in this study. Immature, mature, or parentally experienced male and female Siberian hamsters were presented with 3- to 8-day-old pups. We recorded pup carrying during the initial 10 min, nesting with pups after 8 or 14 h, and attacking pups during the test period. Among inexperienced animals, more mature males attacked pups than did immature males or mature females. Parental experience significantly decreased pup attacks by males and increased nesting with pups by both males and females. Repeated testing did not modify the responses to pups. We conclude that in Siberian hamsters both caretaking and aggressive responses to pups may be shown by immature and mature animals of both sexes. Parental experience resulted in increased caretaking by males and females and decreased aggressive responses by males.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0021531572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0163-1047(84)91033-1
DO - 10.1016/S0163-1047(84)91033-1
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AN - SCOPUS:0021531572
SN - 0163-1047
VL - 42
SP - 177
EP - 182
JO - Behavioral and Neural Biology
JF - Behavioral and Neural Biology
IS - 2
ER -