Open-field activity in mice as a function of ceiling height:  A genotype-environment interaction.
Three inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6, DAB/2, and BALB/c, were run in the standard McClearn-type open-field with l-, 1 5/8-, and 36-inch ceiling heights. Although all strains showed increased activity as a function of lowered ceiling height, an interaction between strain and ceiling height was obtained: while BALB/c mice were the least active strain in the 36-inch-ceiling-height field, they were the most active strain in the 1-inch condition. Implications of this strain times environment interaction for the well-established low open-field activity of BALB/c and other albino strains are discussed.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004777:Environment; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D005824:Genetics, Behavioral; D005838:Genotype; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity