Preferences by deer mice for solutions of sugars, salts, and acids in Richter-type drinking tests

Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) were tested for taste preferences in 48-hour, Richter-type drinking tests (sapid solution versus distilled water). The Ss, which were seven male and seven female wild adults, were individually housed within an environmental chamber. Test solutions were concentrations of five sugars and three salts (.005 M to 1.0 M) and of two acids (4.0 pH to 1.5 pH). The molar range was too limited to identify the most preferred concentration of glucose, but peak preferences for the other common sugars fell within the range. Preference was shown for hypotonic NaCl concentrations, but other salts and both acids were nonpreferred in all tests. Comparisons were made between these findings and results from Richter-type tests with other murine rodents.