The Tailtag: A multi-mouse tracking system to measure social dynamics in complex environments

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Animal Behavior
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Tracking individual animals in social groups is challenging due to limitations of current methods.
• Existing neural network trackers fail to maintain identity in large groups for extended periods.
• Fiducial markers like ArUco codes offer potential but face challenges in complex environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Tailtag system for non-invasive, reliable tracking of individual mice.
• To assess the system's performance in large social groups within enriched environments.
• To analyze social dynamics, group formation, and interaction patterns.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Tailtag: a non-invasive, ergonomic tail ring with an ArUco marker.
• Deployment in colonies of up to 20 mice for at least seven days.
• Comprehensive parameter optimization and marker selection guidance provided.

Main Results:

• The Tailtag system successfully tracked individual mice without performance degradation or behavioral alteration.
• Analysis revealed the formation and evolution of social groups over one week.
• Identification of social hubs and quantification of pairwise interactions and avoidance patterns.

Conclusions:

• The Tailtag system provides a robust solution for tracking mice in complex social settings.
• The system facilitates detailed analysis of social behavior, group dynamics, and spatial preferences.
• Findings highlight the dynamic yet consistent nature of social structures and interactions in mouse colonies.