Intra-familial dispersion patterns in white-footed mice,Peromyscus leucopus

Summary Spatial relationships of white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) dams and their offspring and of littermates post-weaning were determined to evaluate if their dispersion was sufficient to prevent inbreeding. Mothers tended to leave their first nest site and establish another nest site within or near their original home range. Daughters inherited part of the maternal home range but sons dispersed. During the following breeding season, sons were not in proximity to their mothers or sisters. Daughters, however, frequently attained sexual maturity and bred within the home range of males that could have been their fathers. Differential dispersal of male and female juveniles reduces the probability of mother-son and brother-sister matings, but there is no obvious dispersal-related mechanism to prevent father-daughter matings.