Summary
Young from 10 litters of Richardson's ground squirrels were crossfostered within 24 h of birth. Litters, composed then of uterine-sibs and fostered non-sibs, were caged together until 37 days of age (1 week after weaning), at which time the juveniles were separated and caged individually. At a mean age of 110 d squirrels were tested for recognition during 10-min trials in an arena using the following “pair-types”: sibs reared together (SRT), sibs reared apart (SRA), non-sibs reared together (NSRT), and non-sibs reared apart (NSRA). Juvenile S. richardsonii displayed an ability, determined prenatally or soon after birth, to recognize their biological siblings. Familiarity, based upon association before and at the time of weaning, also affected discrimination between conspecifics, although this effect was less apparent.
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Davis, L.S. Sibling recognition in Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 11, 65–70 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297668
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297668