title: Sex differences during initial social contact in the degu (Octodon degus ).
abstract: The degu is a hystricomorph rodent endemic to South America. Initial social interactions between like-sexed pairs in a neutral area were found to be heavily influenced by sex-class membership. Twelve of fifteen behavioral categories were differentiated on the basis of sex-class. Descriptive factor loadings indicated that social contact was facilitated in females via olfactory investigation. In males, social avoidance or spacing behaviors were characteristic. In both sexes, scent marking and olfactory investigation was prevalent. These data serve to expand our knowledge of the behavior of this social rodent, and to document the sexual dimorphism evident in early social activities.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Office of Research, Ball State University, Munice, IN 47306, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Meunier