Olfactory environment of commensal house mice as a factor that affects the formation of the species composition of the population of rodents in buildings.

It was demonstrated that in Y-maze individuals of the outdoor species Myodes glareolus and the semi-synanthropic species Microtus levis avoided the urine odor of commensal Mus musculus. On the contrary mice stayed longer in the maze compartment with the odor of voles. The level of avoidance of commensal mice odor was higher than the other strange odors (urine of rabbit or outdoor mouse Mus spicilegus). It is assumed that the sharp smell of commensal mice is an adaptation designed to hold and protect a particular ecological niche against other species of rodents, i.e., human buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]