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Mice Respond Differently to Urine and Its Major Volatile Constituents from Male and Female Ferrets

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Abstract

Our previous chemical investigation showed that the concentrations of urinary volatiles from males were much higher than those from females in the ferret (Mustela furo). The current study was designed to examine the behavioral significance and ecological relevance of this difference for one of the main prey of the ferret, the house mouse (Mus musculus). Our data showed that male mice displayed no difference in their response to raw male and female ferret urine. However, they showed significantly less response to female mouse urine mixed with ferret urine than to pure female mouse urine, and to female mouse urine mixed with male ferret urine than to female mouse urine mixed with female ferret urine. Furthermore, high levels of the three major volatiles (quinoline, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 4-hepatanone) in male ferret urine were as effective as raw male ferret urine was in inhibiting the response of male mice. We discuss the ecological and behavioral significance of these findings in terms of chemical mimicry and cognitive feature extraction of predator odors in mice.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Janne Sundell for valuable comments on our earlier draft. We are grateful to Drs. Sarah K. Woodley and Michael J. Baum who provided us with ferret urine. This research was supported by grants [No. DC 24180 to M.V. N] from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Health (NIH), and US Department of Health and Human Services. The manuscript preparation and data processing were partially supported by the CAS Innovative Research International Partnership Project (CXTDS2005-4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xibeisihuan Rd 25, Beijing, 100080, China

    Jian-Xu Zhang

  2. The Institute for Pheromone Research, Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA

    Jian-Xu Zhang & Milos Novotny

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, 98926-7537, USA

    Lixing Sun

  4. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beisihuanxilu 25, Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100080, China

    Jian-Xu Zhang

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  1. Jian-Xu Zhang
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Correspondence to Jian-Xu Zhang.

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Zhang, JX., Sun, L. & Novotny, M. Mice Respond Differently to Urine and Its Major Volatile Constituents from Male and Female Ferrets. J Chem Ecol 33, 603–612 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9220-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-006-9220-y

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