Abstract
The ability of the vaginal secretions of hamsters to facilitate spacing among conspecific females was examined in three experiments. In the first study, vaginal substances were applied to one half of a testing arena. Naive females placed into this apparatus spent significantly more time on the clean side and tended to deposit vaginal secretions in this area more often. In the second experiment, vaginal odours were again applied to the testing arena. The donor of the secretion and a second female were then introduced into the arena and allowed to interact. The females whose odours had been applied in the arena were significantly more aggressive. The third study evaluated the effectiveness of vaginal odours to reverse a recently established dominance relationship between female pairs. In eight of 12 pairs, a reversal was observed if the previously subordinate hamster's odours were present in the testing enclosure during the second dominance determination. The results of these studies indicate that vaginal marks could serve to space females in the native habitat. These substances are capable of inducing avoidance of a scented area and influencing the outcome of dominance contests.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.