Territorial aggression, body weight, carbohydrate metabolism and testosterone levels of wild rats maintained in laboratory colonies.
Aggressive territorial behavior was studied in 15 colonies of wild rats (Rattus norvegicus), each consisting of 2 males and 1 female. One of the males attacked an intruder rat more frequently and had a higher body weight than the less aggressive one. In another experiment, male and female rats were raised in colonies from weaning to adulthood. Animals were weighed every 7 days until 90 days of age when plasma testosterone was measured in males, and plasma glucose, hepatic and muscle glycogen were measured in both males and females. THe heavier (and thus possibly dominant) males in the colonies of 3 males and 1 female also had a higher body weight than males raised with females, but without any male partner. In this long-term social relationship there were no significant differences in carbohydrate metabolism among the animals. The differential growth rate among males was established around the period of sexual maturity. Moreover, when adult, heavier males had higher plasma testosterone levels compared to the other members of the colony and also to males that had no other competitive male partner. This higher androgenic hormone level may be one of the causal factors involved in the weight increase of the dominant male in the colony.