The rate of scent marking by male rats and consequent olfactory preferences of female rats.
An experiment is reported designed to test the hypothesis that female rats might discriminate between males that differed in the quantity of odor deposited by scent marking. Male odor donors were selected by prior screening for high or low rates of scent marking in an open arena. Females were then tested to determine whether they showed any preference for males that marked at a high rate. It was found that female rats did discriminate, but that they preferred to remain near males selected for low rates of scent marking.
D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012903:Smell