Marble burying reflects a repetitive and perseverative behavior more than novelty-induced anxiety.

Rationale: An increasing number of investigators utilize the marble-burying assay despite the paucity of information available regarding what underlies the behavior.

Objectives: We tested the possibility that a genetic component underlies marble burying in mice and if there is a genetic correlation with other anxiety-like traits. Since findings reported in the literature indicate that marble-burying behavior reflects an anxiety-like response, we explored the assumption that the novel nature of a marble induces this anxiety.