Preferences for drinking water temperature in mice vary with ambient temperature

Temperature detection and temperature preference are critical for the maintenance of thermal homeostasis and protection from noxious temperature. Methods to measure the time spent on plates of different temperatures such as the 2-plate test and thermal-gradient test are generally used to evaluate temperature preference. In this study, we established a temperature preference test that assesses water drinking behavior by modifying the 2-bottle taste preference test. We found that mice in a common-temperature environment of 23 °C avoid drinking water of temperature more than 40 °C. While mice in a common-temperature environment preferred 10 °C and 30 °C water equally, mice in a hot environment at 35 °C preferred 10 °C water to 30 °C water. Moreover, mice in a cold environment of 10 °C preferred to drink 40 °C water compared to 10 °C water. From these results, the temperature preference test that we developed could be used to evaluate temperature preferences owing to the ambient temperature changes.