P. Valsecchi et al., CAN SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR INFLUENCE FOOD PREFERENCE OF WILD MICE, MUS-DOMESTICUS, IN CONFINED FIELD POPULATIONS, Australian journal of zoology, 44(5), 1996, pp. 493-501
The role of social transmission in directing food preference was asses
sed in adult wild mice living in seminatural outdoor enclosures locate
d in south-eastern Australia. We first examined whether mice recently
fed one novel food and then released back into the enclosure (demonstr
ator mice) influenced the food preference of mice presented with a cho
ice between that novel food and one other novel food. Then we examined
the food preference of mice presented with a novel food and their sta
ple food, after demonstrator mice were fed with the novel food and ret
urned to the enclosure. The main results were as follows: (i) mice giv
en a choice between two novel foods, in the presence of demonstrator m
ice, consumed significantly more of the novel food to which demonstrat
or mice had been exposed; and (ii) mice given a choice of one novel fo
od and their staple food, in the presence of demonstrator mice that ha
d been exposed to the novel food, ate similar amounts of the two foods
. The adaptive value of different strategies of food selection is disc
ussed.