Odour recognition by male hamsters: discrimination of the hormonal state of females by odour from vaginal secretions

ABSTRACT Male hamsters were tested for their interest in females on different days of the oestrous cycle. Behaviour of males towards novel females was measured and (after exposure to vaginal secretion) towards females that matched or did not match that vaginal odour. Because pro-oestrous (day 4) females lay trails of vaginal secretion and will become receptive within a few hours, it was predicted that males would show more interest in day 4 than in other dioestrous females. While males showed no preference for novel, pro-oestrous females over dioestrous females, after pre-exposure to odour, their response to females was determined by the cycle day of the vaginal secretion to which they had been exposed. Males pre-exposed to vaginal odour from females carrying large implants of oestrogen preferred to spend more time with females who matched that vaginal odour than mismatching females and to sniff them more. This preference was not seen if the females carried small oestrogen implants or had no replacement oestrogen. This suggests that pro-oestrous females (who are known to have high circulating levels of oestrogen) can, by means of their scent-marking behaviour, attract and keep males nearby until they become receptive. J. Endocr. (1985) 105, 255–262