Factors affecting Rodents' responses to odours of strangers encountered in the field: Experiments with odour-baited traps

Live traps baited with deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus gambelii) odours were preferred over neutral traps by trap-naive deer mice in reproductive condition, whereas neutral traps were preferred by those not in reproductive condition (Fig. 1). Kangaroo rats (Dipodomys agilis and D. merriami) similarly preferred conspecific odours if in reproductive condition, and neutral traps otherwise (Fig. 2). This response pattern is interpreted as …