Natal dispersal in two mice species with contrasting social systems

We compared the natal dispersal behaviour of two mice species under laboratory conditions. Natal dispersal is a movement of an animal from its birthplace to its breeding area. This behaviour is known to be influenced by the mating system. In polygamous species, males are more likely to disperse, while in most of the monogamous spe- cies, both sexes disperse. Our subjects, the house mouse (Mus musculus) and the mound-building mouse (Mus spic-...