For instance, if two disparate species share this behavior, and given how little research occurs in burrowing mice during cold seasons, then there is a high likelihood that other mice also produce this behavior.ĭespite the differences in their biology and ecology, both A. The purpose of this paper is to record a previously undocumented behavior among these two species, and to place this behavior in context with that of related species. However, by accident, while providing artificial shelters and food for our behavioral assays (e.g., 3– 5), we unknowingly witnessed an uncommon amount of behavior during cold weather, when animals should otherwise be sheltering. This is primarily because they occur further away from human settlements than more common mice (e.g., Mus musculus), and remain in burrows during the winter 2. Despite being plentiful, these mice have not been well-studied in their natural environment, particularly during colder seasons. They are common across Eurasia, and when conditions are favorable, reproduce rapidly to form numerous populations 1. The yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis (Melchior 1834), and the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius (Pallas 1771), are small non-commensal rodents in the family Muridae. We conclude by setting several directions for future research in this area. Given that these animals are so closely-related to laboratory rodents, this knowledge could potentially be relevant to researchers in various disciplines. It is likely that tail-belting has not previously been documented because free-ranging mice are rarely-recorded in the wild under extreme cold conditions. agrarius), we surmise that frostbite prevention may be the primary reason for this adaptation. Since the tail-belting occurred only when the temperature dropped below − 6.9 ☌ (for A. Thermal imaging data show the tails remained near ambient temperature even when temperatures were below 0 ☌. We documented 115 instances of the tail-belting behavior 38 in Apodemus agrarius, and 77 in Apodemus flavicollis. This behavior was performed under cold stress, whereby animals lift and curl the tail medially, before resting it on the dorsal, medial rump while feeding or resting. Here, we have repeatedly observed an undescribed behavior which we refer to as “tail-belting”. The classic rodent literature implies that rodents prevent heat loss via a broad range of behavioral adaptations including sheltering, sitting on their tails, curling into a ball, or huddling with conspecifics. Here, we present the first record of a previously unknown thermal adaptation to cold stress that repeatedly occurred in two species of non-commensal rodents ( Apodemus flavicollis and Apodemus agrarius). Rodents are among the most successful mammals because they have the ability to adapt to a broad range of environmental conditions.
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