BEHAVIORS OF SWISS-WEBSTER AND C57 BL/6N SIN MICE IN A FEAR DEFENSE TEST BATTERY/

When confronted by an approaching threat stimulus (experimenter or lab oratory rat), Swiss-Webster mice show initial night, followed by freez ing and defensive vocalization and biting, the latter only when escape is blocked. These defense patterns resemble those of the wild rat, su ggesting that mice of this strain do not show the reductions in flight and defensive threat/attack that are typical of laboratory rats. C57/ BL/6N Sin strain mice showed fewer avoidances to an approaching predat or, as well as reduced vocalization and defensive biting, a pattern mo re similar to that of laboratory rats. As with rats, female mice appea red to be more defensive to a predator. They showed greater reactivity to dorsal contact and more frequent defensive biting and jump attacks than males of the same strains. These patterns of defensive behaviors suggest that, although strain differences in defense are substantial, laboratory mice are suitable for, and may offer several advantages in , the study of the genetic, endocrine, and pharmacological basis of an tipredator defense. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.