The influence of sex,sexual condition and age on the exploratory behaviour of wild wood mice (Apodemus Sylvaticus L.)

From April 1978 to April 1980 the exploratory behaviour of more than 1000 wild wood mice was studied in a modified open field test situation. The influence of sex, sexual condition and age on the exploratory activity was investigated. Sufficient data being available, the exploratory activity of both sexually active and sexually inactive adult males and adult females, of both sexually active and sexually inactive subadult males and subadult females and of both sexually inactive juvenile males and females was compared by means of a one way analysis of variance for each two-month period. In other analyses the influence of age of adult males and adult females on the exploratory behaviour was further examined. No differences could be found in the exploratory activity displayed by males or females and by sexually active or sexually inactive animals. Also a clear influence of age was absent. The interindividual variation was very large.