What the parent-infant bond brings: Parental behavior in Octodon degus

Abstract

The degu is a species of rodent that communally rears its pups. While experimental social separation in the preweaning period has been reported to cause hyperactivity and disrupt brain function, it remains unclear how degu pups' behavior and their central nervous system are influenced by different naturally occurring nurturing behaviors. The present article reviews the effects of different parental behaviors and experimental social separation on degu pups from behavioral and neural perspectives. Moreover, as a case study, we observed pups born to two mothers who exhibited different nurturing behaviors. The pups that received less maternal care showed fewer days on which audible vocalizations were observed and fewer rearing behaviors (standing on both hind paws) than pups that received more maternal care. These behavioral tendencies differed from those reported in an experimental social isolation study. We expect that not only the effects of the experimental social separation but also the short- and long-term effects of naturally occurring differences in nurturing behavior on degu pup development can be studied with the consideration of ecological validity.