Bilateral lesions of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus disrupt nursing behavior in rabbits

Abstract

Rabbit maternal behavior begins in late pregnancy as the doe constructs a maternal nest where she will deliver the litter and nurse the kits throughout lactation (González-Mariscal et al., 1994, 2016). Nursing occurs only once a day, inside the maternal nest, (González-Mariscal et al., 2013 a; Jilge, 1995) and lasts around three min (González-Mariscal et al., 1994, 2013 b; Lincoln, 1974). These temporal characteristics of nursing remain unchanged throughout lactation despite a marked increase in milk output across the first 20 days and a gradual decline over the following 10 days (González-Mariscal et al., 1994, 2009).

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