Sexual motivation of the male rat during the oestrous cycle of the female rat.
Two experiments are described in which the sexual motivation of the male rat was investigated in relation to the reproductive state of a female rat. The male rat lived in an artificial habitat, the residential plus-maze, so that continuous registration of his movements was possible without disturbing the animal. It was found that a male rat showed a preference for a female rat in heat even though copulation was not possible. Such behaviour was also shown by the male rat towards an ovariectomized female that had been brought in heat by oestradiol benzoate with a subsequent injection of progesterone. A single injection with oestradiol benzoate given to the female rat could not induce this behaviour in the male rat. The nature of the signals that inform the male rat about the female condition has not yet been elucidated.
D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol