The Role of Parental Care in Rats and Mice
WouterThe role of parental care is critical for the survival and development of offspring. This behavior is regulated by a complex set of factors. In this unit, we will examine the components of parental care in rats and mice, and learn about ways to assess parental care. This unit also covers some of the important questions that need to be answered before we can better understand this important behavior.
Female rats can give birth to as many as 14 pups in a litter. The average litter size is seven. Female rats continue to breed until they are about 18 to 24 months old. During the first few days after birth, newborn rats are blind and lack fur. However, they grow quickly. Within three weeks, the pups wean themselves and reach sexual maturity. Male pups need to develop sexually before they can challenge adult males.
One neuropeptide involved in parental care is vasopressin, which is known to modulate parental behavior in mice. Promiscuous mice express vasopressin three-fold more than monogamous mice. However, vasopressin inhibits nest building in monogamous parents. However, vasopressin did not affect other aspects of parental care, such as maternal care.
In mammals, parental care is crucial to the survival of their young. But this care varies widely among species. Males are less likely to provide parental care than their female counterparts.
