BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MICE EXPOSED TO A WATER TANK SOCIAL-INTERACTION TEST

Male or female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to a water tank in which foo d could be obtained only by wading in the water towards a feeder, Beha vioral differentiation occurred in that three distinct categories coul d be distinguished: major carriers (transporting over 80% of the food pellets), sporadic carriers (transporting less than 20% of the food pe llets) and non-carriers, In the elevated +-maze, major carriers were m ore willing to explore open spaces than non-carriers. Sporadic carrier s showed some evidence of the same tendency of decreased anxiety, but in a minor way. The willingness of mice to become carriers Is associat ed with their willingness to explore novel areas. This test may be use ful for the assessment of anxiolytic compounds in a social situation.