Effects of visual and acoustic deprivation on agonistic behaviour of the albino mouse (M. musculus L.).

Male mice of the LAC strain were allowed to form territories in 2 X 2 X 1 m artificial enclosures. Territory holders were provided with contact lenses or earplugs and their agonistic responses were analyzed in order to assess the relative importance of vision and audition in this type of social behaviour. It was shown that three distinct phases of the agonistic response towards intruder mice can be recognized. These represent physiologically distinct albeit functionally related events: (1) detection, (2) chasing (or tracking), (3) attacking. Whereas deprivation of vision primarily impaired attacking, acoustic deprivation diminished active tracking of intruders. Detection was severely impaired by acoustic deprivation and also to some extent by visual deprivation.