Effects of environmental enrichment on aggressive behavior, dominance hierarchies, and endocrine status in male DBA/2J mice (1994)

Haemisch, A., Voss, T., Gartner, K.

Abstract

The provision of a horizontal labyrinth consisting of vertical dividers with only a few openings enhanced territorial tendencies in groups of male mice, leading to increased aggression. Findings suggest that keeping adult male mice in structured cages can result in increased aggression towards intruders, a change in the social organization, and altered endocrine states. .. This indicates that maintaining dominance in an enriched cage group was more stressful than in a standard cage group.