Attraction to home-cage odor in hamster pups: specificity and changes with age

Marshall Devor*, Gerald E. Schneider

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Golden hamster pups showed a marked preference for the odor of home-cage bedding over that of fresh bedding beginning at 7-8 days of age. This preference subsequently declined. Home-cage odor was preferred to that of male and nonpregnant female hamsters but not to that of another mother and her litter. Pups showed odor preferences as early as 4 days of age in certain non-animal odor comparisons. Odor-guided filial behaviors may contribute to the solidarity and eventual breakup of the family group.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)211-221
Number of pages11
JournalBehavioral Biology
Volume10
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1974
Externally publishedYes

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