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Do Wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus , use dropping boards?
Author(s) -
Wolton Robert J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1986.tb03660.x
Subject(s) - peromyscus , apodemus , biology , wood mouse , zoology , white (mutation) , population , ecology , demography , biochemistry , sociology , gene
The White‐footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus , a morphologically and ecologically similar species to the Wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus (L.), preferentially deposits faeces on dropping boards, that is on artificial, clean, flat surfaces (Emlen, Hine, Fuller & Alfonso, 1957). Since such behaviour has clear scent‐marking implications and can also be used to provide a ready index of population size, it was judged of interest to discover whether it is exhibited by Wood mice.