Emotionality related to maternal cannibalism in BALB and C57BL mice

Twenty-four female mice from two inbred strains, BALB and C57BL, were tested for emotional behavior. Half of the animals had successfully raised their first litter to weaning, while the other half had eaten their first litter. Cannibalistic females of both strains were found to be more prone to auditory stress than controls. However, the relationship between emotional defecation and cannibalism was found to interact with strain, suggesting an optimum level of arousal.