Supplemental data for: Finding Mr. Right: Housing quality affects male mouse attractiveness to females, with implications for conservation captive breeding

Twelve virgin oestrous DBA/2 female sister pairs were each presented with a dyad of differentially-raised virgin brothers. Choice behaviour was videoed, and analyzed blind to housing. Ultrasonic recording confirmed courtship singing in all trials.

Females spent on average 1.5 times longer near males from WR housing than their CH brothers, sniffing them for nearly twice as long: a significant preference that did not vary with female housing. Effects were not explained by male body weight, testis weight or anogenital distance. Overall, as predicted, WR housing rendered males more attractive.

When subsequently housed for mating in male-sister-pair trios, 6 WR and 6 CH, WR trios also tended to be more likely to have litters. For species with problematic breeding programmes, improving welfare via higher-quality housing may therefore help improve reproductive success.