CAN SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR INFLUENCE FOOD PREFERENCE OF WILD MICE, MUS-DOMESTICUS, IN CONFINED FIELD POPULATIONS

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.