The Open Behavioral Science Journal

2009, 3 : 34-39
Published online 2009 November 3. DOI: 10.2174/1874230000903010034
Publisher ID: TOBSJ-3-34

Physical Properties of Bedding Materials Determine the Marble Burying Behavior of Mice (C57BL/6J)

Chihiro Homma and Kazuyuki Yamada
Support Unit for Animal Experiments, Research Resources Center, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-city, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan

ABSTRACT

The marble burying test is a simple behavioral psychopharmacology task in which rodents, especially rats and mice, are exposed to glass marbles laying on thick bedding materials. This test has been widely used to assess the effects of a variety of psychoactive drugs. Although the marble burying test clearly reflects drug efficacy, many aspects of the behavior itself remain unclear. In the present study, we assessed the effects of different bedding materials and the number of glass marbles presented on the marble burying behavior of mice (C57BL/6J). Six (bedding materials) × three (number of glass marbles) factorial experiments revealed that the number of marbles buried correlates closely with the quality of the bedding material. Our results provide a basic understanding of certain factors that govern marble burying behavior, which may be applicable to behavioral sciences including psychopharmacology.

Keywords:

Marble burying, defensive burying, digging, bedding materials, mice.