Faecal avoidance and selective foraging: do wild mice have the luxury to avoid faeces?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Parasitology

Background:

• Host-parasite interactions significantly influence wild animal population dynamics.
• Antiparasite behaviors are crucial for host fitness but poorly understood in wild populations.
• Understanding antiparasite behaviors in nature is vital for ecological significance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate antiparasite behaviors in wild white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).
• To determine if rodents avoid conspecific feces and if parasite status affects this behavior.
• To assess if wild mice select nesting materials based on conspecific parasite status.

Main Methods:

• Observed foraging and nesting behaviors of wild mice in relation to conspecific feces.
• Assessed the impact of fecal gastrointestinal parasite status on mouse behavior.
• Tested nesting material selection preferences between healthy and infected conspecifics.

Main Results:

• Wild mice did not exhibit fecal avoidance or selective foraging away from feces.
• Mice showed no preference for or against nesting material used by healthy or infected conspecifics.
• Mice preferred proximity to feces, suggesting it may signal good foraging/nesting sites.

Conclusions:

• Unlike lab studies, wild mice do not display antiparasite behaviors related to feces.
• Mice may prioritize resource acquisition (feeding, nesting) over parasite avoidance.
• The trade-off between antiparasite behavior and resource opportunity differs in complex wild environments.