The Effect of Reciprocal Cross-Fostering of Pups in Two Species of Mice <italic>Mus musculus</italic> and <italic>Mus spicilegus</italic>: An Altered Response to Con- and Heterospecific Odors.

The effect of pup cross-fostering by the house mouse <italic>Mus musculus</italic> and the mound-building mouse <italic>M. spicilegus</italic> on the odor preferences of sexually mature individuals has been studied for the first time. House and mound-building mice reared by females of a closely related species did not prefer any of the odors, in contrast to intact individuals of these species. Some individuals reared by females of a closely related species preferred the odor of foster species to conspecific odor. Early olfactory experience has been shown to alter the response of house mice and mound-building mice to odors of their own species and foster species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]