There was no territoriality, and the entire colony shared available space, but males had a dominance hierarchy maintained by aggression. The basic social unit was the mated pair, and strict monogamy was practiced throughout the year. The female initiated most movements, and the male always remained close and defended her against other males. Females are polyestrous, experience a postpartum estrus, and produce three or four litters annually. The interval between litters is about 3 months during the European winter and 3.5 months during summer.
Litters usually contain two young but sometimes have one or three.
The young are born outside of the burrow but move inside soon afterward. They are well developed, their eyes are open, and they can move about freely. The Johns Hopkins University Press. All rights reserved. This document may be used, with this notice included, for noncommercial purposes within a purchasing institution .