Nest-building behavior in two cerebellar mutant mice: staggerer and weaver

Nest-building behavior was studied in two separate (different genes) but phenotypically similar autosomal recessive neurological (cerebellar) mutants, staggerer and weaver, as well as their wild-type siblings. None of the test animals or their parents had previous experience with the nesting materials used in these experiments. All of the mice, with the exception of the staggerer mutant, exhibited the nest-building behavior. This observation, coupled with other phenotypes expressed in this mutant, suggest the mutation may more generally affect neuroendocrine development and/or regulation rather than be restricted to cerebellar development.