Effects of nesting material (0, 6, or 12 g), strain (CD1, C57, BALB/C), and sex (male and female) on (A) total metabolic heat production (kcal/h) and (B) metabolic heat production per g of body weight in mice during a phase of presumed inactivity (0800 to 2000). Data are given as mean ± 1 SE. Symbols (*, ^, #) indicate strain- and sex-associated differences (P ≤ 0.05) within nesting-material treatments.