What matters to a mouse? Effects of internal and external context on male vocal response to female squeaks
Lauren R. Leuner, Laura M. Hurley

TL;DR
Male house mice change their vocal behavior during courtship when they detect unfamiliar male competitors, but not when the competitors are familiar.
Contribution
The study reveals how familiarity with competitor cues modulates male mouse vocal responses during courtship.
Findings
All male mice reduced vocalizations in response to female squeaks, regardless of dominance or odor condition.
Unfamiliar male odors decreased vocal complexity and baseline calling, while familiar male odors had no effect.
Dominance status did not influence vocal responses to female cues or competitor odors.
Abstract
House mice adjust their signaling behavior depending on the social context of an interaction, but which aspects of context elicit the strongest responses from these individuals is often difficult to determine. To explore how internal and external contextual factors influence how house mice produce and respond to social signals, we assessed how dominant and subordinate male mice differed in their ultrasonic vocalization (USV) production in response to playback of broadband vocalizations (BBVs, or squeaks) when given limited access to a stimulus female. We used a repeated measures design in which each male was exposed to two types of trials with different odor conditions: either just female odors (Fem condition) or female odors in addition to the odors of potential competitors, other males (Fem+Male condition). The presence of odors from other males in this assay served as a proxy for an…
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Taxonomy
TopicsNeuroendocrine regulation and behavior · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
