HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Taylor, G. T. Articles by Haller, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Taylor, G. T. Articles by Haller, J.

Sexual experience produces long-lasting changes in both the behaviour and reproductive system of a male rat. The response of the female rat to an area that had recently housed a previously mated male was investigated in three experiments. In experiments 1 and 2 females preferentially urine marked in an area vacated by a sexually experienced (SE) male relative to areas vacated by a sexually inexperienced (SI) or castrated (C) male. The density of female marks were ranked SE > SI > C > empty area. In experiment 3 female preference for an SE male with varied and multiple mating experiences was magnified when compared with an SI male. There was the suggestion that the multiple SE male was even preferred to a male with only a single mating experience. A fourth experiment demonstrated an acute increase in circulating testosterone in multiple SE males exposed to oestrous or non-oestrous females, and the increase was observable for up to 7 days after exposure to an oestrous female. The conclusion is that chronic changes in androgen-dependent urinary by-products released by the SE male mediate the discrimination and choice of a mate by the female rat.