Study Finds Female Mice Prefer Warmer Floors
Researchers at King's College London traced the difference to two temperature-sensing ion channels that activate at higher temperatures in females.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Women’s Health
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King's College London researchers reported that female mice choose a floor temperature of 36°C while males choose 32°C, a difference linked to the TRPM2 and TRPM8 ion channels. The findings were published in The Journal of Physiology.
Why it matters
The study offers a biological explanation for sex-based differences in temperature preference that has been observed in behavior. Understanding how these sensors differ between sexes could inform future research into temperature-related comfort and sensory processing.
The study used a controlled preference test with heated metal plates in mice, comparing female and male choices across sensor manipulations. Female mice chose 36°C while males chose 32°C, and the human room-temperature preference gap of 25°C versus 22°C remains unexplained by the mouse data.
The players
King's College London
A London-based public research university whose researchers led the study on temperature sensing in mice.
Wolfson Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre
The research center at King's College London where the study was conducted.
The details
Researchers placed mice on two heated metal plates and recorded which plate they chose. Removing the TRPM2 warmth sensor shifted males toward warmer preferences, while removing or blocking the TRPM8 cool sensor shifted females toward cooler ones. Lowering testosterone in males also moved them toward the female preference, though testosterone did not fully account for the difference.
Timeline
November 2, 2026: The study was published in The Journal of Physiology.
Sensory Science Context
The study extends research on TRPM8, the cool-sensing ion channel first identified as the receptor for menthol, by showing its activation threshold differs between male and female mice. This adds a sex-based dimension to a sensory pathway that prior work largely characterized without sex as a variable.
The findings are based on mouse research and do not yet change any treatment or care recommendation for people. Readers should not expect changes to daily health practices from this study alone.
The takeaway
Biological temperature preferences can differ between sexes at the level of individual sensory channels. Researchers are now testing whether these sensors are a viable target for future work on temperature comfort.
Further reading
Explore more in Women's Health, where research on sex differences in the body is tracked.
More information
Read the full published study in The Journal of Physiology for the complete methods and data.
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