Elizabeth Heckert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>> Hmmmmm -- Considering that is exactly what we did.... We bought two females
>> from different sources and introduced them, about a week after we were sure
>> the ladies getting along we introduced a male. The result was two healthy
>> litters one of four and one of seven [one of the second litter did die] the
>> females helped each other raise both litters. In fact as neither litter is
>> weaned, they still are. It is quite something to see both the moms nursing
>> mixed groups.
>
>Unfortunately, the cooperation seldom lasts. A lot of people report that
>it works for a few litters, til they become out of synch, and then
>territory disputes break out or pups are stolen/killed. I believe Julian
>has a research reference, doesn't he?
There are several papers. Mostly looking at how females react to foreign
pups when they are nursing, and when they are not nursing. Basically,
non-nursing adult females cannot be trusted with other's pups but
nursing mothers can be.
Even when mothers are nursing at the same time, there is a tendency to
steal pups from one another etc. The following are all relevant.
CHANGES IN THE RESPONSES OF MALE AND FEMALE GERBILS (MERIONES
UNGUICULATUS) TOWARDS TEST PUPS DURING THE PREGNANCY OF THE FEMALE:
Elwood, RW, 1977, Animal Behaviour, 25, 46-51
PATERNAL AND MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL: Elwood R W,
1975, Anim. Behav., 23, 766-772
THE DEVELOPMENT, INHIBITION AND DISINHIBITION OF PUP-CANNIBALISM IN THE
MONGOLIAN GERBIL: Elwood R W, 1980, Anim. Behav., 28, 1188-94
POSTPARTRITIONAL REESTABLISHMENT OF PUP CANNIBALISM IN FEMALE GERBILS:
Elwood R W, 1981, Developmental Psychobiology, 14(3), 209-12
CANNIBALISM - ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION AMONGST DIVERSE TAXA, Elgar M A and
Crespi B J (Ed), Oxford University Press, 1992,
--
Julian
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