Females counter-sing, but response to male song differs by sex in Alston's singing mouse

Abstract

Vocal display behaviours are common throughout the animal kingdom, play important roles in both courtship and aggression, and are frequent subjects of behavioural research. Although females of many species vocalize, an overwhelming fraction of behavioural research has focused on male display. We investigated vocal display behaviours in female singing mice (Scotinomys teguina), small muroid rodents in which both sexes produce songs consisting of trills of rapid, downward frequency sweeps. Previous research established that male singing mice increase song production and engage in precisely timed counter-singing behaviour in response to playback of conspecific male song. We tested whether female singing mice also increased their rate of singing in response to playback of male song, whether they counter-sing, and whether there are sexual dimorphisms in song effort. Our results demonstrate that much like males, female singing mice increase their song effort and counter-sing in response to playback of male song; however, females sing fewer and shorter songs compared to males. This study further informs the understanding of female vocal behaviour and establishes the singing mouse as a valuable model for investigating female vocal display.