Mouse social competition device

Abstract

A mouse social competition device is provided with a base, a main body serving as a competition room and a slidable obstacle assembly, the main body is arranged on the upper surface of the base, and the slidable obstacle assembly is arranged in the main body; a food groove used for containing food balls is formed in the center of the upper surface of the base, and a barrier cover of the slidable barrier assembly is movably arranged over the food groove in a covering mode. And the interior of the main body is divided into two independent moving areas by the barrier cover. According to the device, the mice in the two activity areas can be blocked, the problem of mutual attack in the competition process caused by direct limb contact between the mice is avoided, the food competition ability of the mice can be quantified under non-violent behaviors, and the social competition behaviors and social levels of the mice can be reflected more accurately from the aspect of food competition. The device can also reduce unfair competition factors caused by strength differences of the mice through the slidable obstacle assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of mouse behavior research devices, in particular to a mouse social competition device. Background Art

[0002] Competition for food refers to the struggle between organisms, such as animals and microorganisms, for access to the same food resources. This competitive relationship is ubiquitous in nature and is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Food competition also exists in marine organisms, as exemplified by a method and application for investigating food competition among large jellyfish species, as reported in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN114137058A. For social animals and human societies, competition and cooperation between individuals or groups are crucial for the survival and evolution of the group, strain, and species. Social competition determines ownership or priority of individual rights to living territories, food, water, mates, and other resources or non-resources. Through competition, social hierarchies are established within the same group or strain, with individuals of higher social status receiving corresponding priority rights to resources or non-resources, such as living space, food, and mates. Living space and food are fundamental elements of life and the primary areas of competition for survival. Competition for food is often used to identify social competition behaviors that confirm animal hierarchies.

[0003] In biomedical research, mice are widely recognized as valuable models for studying social behavior, but reliable, effective, and easy-to-use methods for assessing social competition in mice remain limited. While some larger animals can undergo traditional food competition tests, these procedures are difficult to apply to smaller mice. In recent years, several food competition experiments have been conducted in mice. However, these experiments suffer from issues such as unstable hierarchies, complex computational models, difficulty observing and interpreting animal behavior, and the inability to avoid aggressive behavior during food competition. These issues make it difficult to assess social hierarchy in mice using food competition.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, it is necessary to provide a mouse social competition device to solve the shortcomings of the existing technology. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a mouse social competition device that can isolate mice in two activity areas, thereby quantifying the mice's food competition ability while avoiding inter-mice violence, thereby more accurately reflecting the mice's social competition behavior and social hierarchy from the perspective of food competition.

[0006] The above-mentioned purpose of the utility model is achieved through the following technical measures:

[0007] A mouse social competition device is provided, which comprises a base, a main body serving as a competition chamber, and a slidable obstacle component. The main body is arranged on the upper surface of the base, and the slidable obstacle component is arranged inside the main body.

[0008] A food trough for placing food balls is provided in the center of the upper surface of the base, and the barrier cover of the slidable obstacle assembly is movable above the food trough; and the barrier cover divides the interior of the main body into two independent activity areas.

[0009] The volume of the active area changes as the blocking cover moves, and the total volume of the two active areas remains unchanged.

[0010] Preferably, the above-mentioned slidable obstacle assembly is provided with a slide rail, a pulley and a connecting piece, the slide rail is arranged on the upper part of the main body, the pulley is slidably arranged inside the slide rail, the pulley is assembled with the connecting piece, and the connecting piece is fixedly connected to the barrier cover, so that the barrier cover is suspended inside the main body.

[0011] Preferably, the main body is provided with a box body and two tubes for mice to enter the main body, and the two tubes are respectively fixed to two opposite sides of the main body.

[0012] Preferably, the box body is further provided with two through holes, each of which is connected to a tube body.

[0013] Preferably, the main body is further provided with two door bodies for preventing mice from escaping from the competition chamber, and each door body can be movably assembled on the outer surface of a through hole.

[0014] Preferably, the tube body is provided with an opening for the door body to move up and down, and the opening is close to the box body.

[0015] Preferably, the slidable barrier assembly is further provided with a top plate for improving the overall stability of the slidable barrier assembly, the top plate is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the slide rail, and the top plate is also mounted on the upper surface of the box.

[0016] Preferably, the box is enclosed by four panels.

[0017] Preferably, the lower end surface and the upper end surface of the box body are both in an open state, the slide rail is assembled on the upper end surface of the box body, and the lower end surface of the box body abuts against the upper surface of the base.

[0018] Preferably, the box body is provided with two assembly grooves, each assembly groove is located on the inner side surface of a plate body, and the two assembly grooves are arranged opposite to each other.

[0019] Preferably, both ends of the slide rail are respectively embedded in the two assembly grooves.

[0020] Preferably, the main body is a transparent main body.

[0021] Preferably, the barrier cover is a transparent barrier cover.

[0022] Preferably, the bottom of the barrier cover is provided with a plurality of air holes for dissipating food odor.

[0023] The mouse social competition device of the utility model is further provided with a camera for collecting mouse behaviors, and the camera is assembled inside the main body.

[0024] The present invention provides a mouse social competition device comprising a base, a main body serving as a competition chamber, and a slidable barrier assembly. The main body is disposed on the upper surface of the base, and the slidable barrier assembly is disposed within the main body. A food trough for placing food pellets is provided in the center of the upper surface of the base, and a movable barrier cover of the slidable barrier assembly is disposed directly above the food trough. The barrier cover separates the interior of the main body into two independent activity areas. The volume of the activity area changes as the barrier cover moves, and the total volume of the two activity areas remains unchanged. The mouse social competition device can separate mice in the two activity areas, avoiding the problem of direct physical contact between mice causing mutual aggression during competition. This allows for the quantification of the mice's food competition ability in a non-violent manner, thereby more accurately reflecting the mice's social competition behavior and social hierarchy from the perspective of food competition. The present invention also reduces unfair competition factors caused by differences in strength among mice through the slidable barrier assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the contents in the accompanying drawings do not constitute any limitation to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the mouse social competition device in Example 1.

[0027] Figure 2 Cross-section of the social competition apparatus for mice.

[0028] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the box.

[0029] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the slidable obstacle component.

[0030] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the sliding barrier assembly hidden behind the sliding rails and the top plate.

[0031] exist Figures 1 to 5 Including:

[0032] Slidable barrier assembly 100, slide rail 110, pulley 120, connector 130, top plate 140, barrier cover 150, air hole 160,

[0033] Main body 200, box body 210, tube body 220, door body 230, assembly groove 240, opening 250, through hole 260,

[0034] Base 300, food trough 310,

[0035] Food pills 400. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The technical solution of the present utility model is further described with reference to the following embodiments.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] A social competition device for mice, such as Figure 1 As shown, a base 300 , a main body 200 serving as a competition chamber, and a slidable barrier assembly 100 are provided. The main body 200 is provided on the upper surface of the base 300 , and the slidable barrier assembly 100 is provided inside the main body 200 .

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, a food trough 310 for placing food balls 400 is opened in the center of the upper surface of the base 300, and the barrier cover 150 of the slidable obstacle assembly 100 is movable above the food trough 310; and the barrier cover 150 divides the interior of the main body 200 into two independent activity areas.

[0040] The volume of the active area changes as the barrier cover 150 moves, while the combined volume of the two active areas remains constant. When the barrier cover 150 is located in the middle of the main body 200, the food trough 310 is directly below the barrier cover 150, and the volumes of the two active areas are equal. The main body 200 is transparent, and the barrier cover 150 is transparent.

[0041] The box body 210 is enclosed by four plates; the lower end surface and the upper end surface of the box body 210 are both open, the slide rail 110 is assembled on the upper end surface of the box body 210, and the lower end surface of the box body 210 abuts against the upper surface of the base 300.

[0042] like Figure 3 The box body 210 is provided with two assembly grooves 240, each assembly groove 240 is located on the inner side of a plate body, and the two assembly grooves 240 are arranged opposite to each other; the two ends of the slide rail 110 are respectively embedded in the two assembly grooves 240. The two ends of the slide rail 110 are respectively embedded in the inner surface of the side wall of the main body 200.

[0043] It should be noted that the slide rail 110 is embedded in the assembly groove 240 to support the slide rail 110 , thereby preventing the slide rail 110 from shifting.

[0044] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 The slidable barrier assembly 100 is provided with a slide rail 110, a pulley 120, a connector 130, and a top plate 140 for improving the overall stability of the slidable barrier assembly 100. The slide rail 110 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 200, and the pulley 120 is slidably disposed within the slide rail 110. The pulley 120 is assembled with the connector 130, and the connector 130 is fixedly connected to the barrier cover 150, so that the barrier cover 150 is suspended within the main body 200. The top plate 140 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the slide rail 110 and is also mounted on the upper surface of the box 210. The bottom of the barrier cover 150 is provided with a plurality of air holes 160 for dispersing the odor of the food pellets 400.

[0045] It should be noted that the pulley 120 of the present invention is slidably connected to the slide rail 110 . When the mouse pushes the barrier cover 150 , the barrier cover 150 moves, thereby exposing the food in the food trough 310 .

[0046] The main body 200 is provided with a box body 210 and two tube bodies 220 for mice to enter the main body 200. The two tube bodies 220 are respectively fixed to two opposite sides of the main body 200; the box body 210 is also provided with two through holes 260, each through hole 260 is connected to a tube body 220.

[0047] The main body 200 is also provided with two doors 230 for preventing mice from escaping from the competition room. Each door 230 can be movably assembled on the outer surface of a through hole. The tube body 220 is provided with an opening 250 for movably assembling the door 230, and the opening 250 is close to the box body 210.

[0048] It should be noted that the door 230 is removed when the mouse is placed in the competition chamber, and after the mouse enters, the door 230 is inserted into the opening 250 to prevent the mouse from escaping the competition chamber.

[0049] The mouse social competition device of the present invention is provided with a camera (not shown in the figure) for collecting mouse behavior, and the camera is assembled inside the main body 200. The behavior of the mouse can be monitored by the camera.

[0050] This embodiment uses mice as an example to illustrate the use of the mouse social competition device as follows:

[0051] 1. Adaptation phase: The experimental mice were placed in a mouse social competition apparatus, and the experimenter interacted with the mice in the apparatus to allow them to adapt to the experimental environment and the experimenter.

[0052] 2. Training phase:

[0053] S1. Food restriction: The mice were restricted in food before the experiment to increase their motivation to compete for food;

[0054] S2. Familiarization with the environment: The slidable barrier component 100 allows the mouse to enter the main body 200 to familiarize itself with the competition environment;

[0055] S3, training the mouse to know the location of the food pellet 400 in the food trough 310: placing the food pellet 400 in the food trough 310, and allowing the mouse to enter the box 210 multiple times so that the mouse knows and remembers the location of the food pellet 400;

[0056] S4. Train the mice to obtain hidden food: Place the food pellets 400 in the food trough 310 below the assembled slidable barrier assembly 100, and then place the barrier cover 150 directly above the food trough 310. Allow the mice to enter the box 210 several times to help them master the operation of pushing away the obstacles to obtain the food pellets 400.

[0057] 3. Testing phase: Two competing mice are placed from the two tubes 220 , and the code and time of the mouse that obtains the food pellet 400 are recorded. This mouse is the winner.

[0058] The mouse social competition device can separate mice in two activity areas, preventing direct physical contact between mice that could lead to aggression during competition. This allows for the non-violent quantification of mice's food competition ability, more accurately reflecting their social competition behavior and social hierarchy. The slidable barrier assembly 100 also reduces unfair competition among mice caused by power disparities.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mouse social competition device, characterized by: A base, a main body serving as a competition chamber, and a slidable obstacle assembly are provided, wherein the main body is provided on the upper surface of the base, and the slidable obstacle assembly is provided inside the main body; A food trough for placing food pellets is provided at the center of the upper surface of the base, and a movable barrier cover of the slidable barrier assembly is disposed directly above the food trough; The barrier cover divides the interior of the main body into two independent activity areas; The volume of the active area changes as the blocking cover moves, and the total volume of the two active areas remains unchanged.

2. The mouse social competition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slidable obstacle assembly is provided with a slide rail, a pulley and a connecting piece. The slide rail is provided on the upper part of the main body, and the pulley is slidably provided inside the slide rail. The pulley is assembled with the connecting piece, and the connecting piece is fixedly connected to the barrier cover, so that the barrier cover is suspended inside the main body.

3. The mouse social competition device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body is provided with a box body and two tube bodies for mice to enter the main body, and the two tube bodies are respectively fixed to two opposite sides of the main body; The box body is further provided with two through holes, each of which is communicated with a pipe body.

4. The mouse social competition device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main body is further provided with two door bodies for preventing mice from escaping from the competition chamber, and each door body is movably assembled on the outer surface of a through hole; The tube body is provided with an opening for the door body to move up and down, and the opening is close to the box body.

5. The mouse social competition device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The slidable obstacle assembly is further provided with a top plate for improving the overall stability of the slidable obstacle assembly. The top plate is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the slide rail and is also mounted on the upper surface of the box.

6. The mouse social competition device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The box body is enclosed by four plates; The lower end surface and the upper end surface of the box body are both in an open state, the slide rail is assembled on the upper end surface of the box body, and the lower end surface of the box body abuts against the upper surface of the base.

7. The mouse social competition device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The box body is provided with two assembly grooves, each assembly groove is located on the inner side of a plate body, and the two assembly grooves are arranged opposite to each other; The two ends of the slide rail are respectively embedded in the two assembly grooves.

8. The mouse social competition device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The main body is a transparent body; The barrier cover is a transparent barrier cover.

9. The mouse social competition device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the barrier cover is provided with a plurality of air holes for allowing food odor to escape.

10. The mouse social competition device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A camera for collecting mouse behavior is also provided, and the camera is assembled inside the main body.

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