Coat color genes and cage temperature effects on care of the body surface (COBS) behavior of Meriones unguiculatus.

Male and female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) carrying three coat color alleles, agouti, sandy, and black, were tested for 15 min under three cage temperature conditions, warm (35-40 degrees C), neutral (20 degrees C), and cold (0-5 degrees C). A frequency count of scratching, face and body wash, belly/side rubs, and shaking was taken of these animals' activities during the test sessions. Sex differences were not evident but coat color and age temperature affected the belly/side rubs and shaking activities. There were also effects of cage temperature but not coat color on face/body wash and scratching. It appears that animals with these coat color variants manifest disparate patterns of COBS behavior when encountering different thermal environments.