Effect of the odour of vaginal secretion on non-copulatory behaviour of male hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Male hamsters were exposed to female vaginal secretion (in the absence of the female). When subsequently tested with females, their behaviour was determined by whether the test female matched or did not match the vaginal secretion. Less time was spent with mismatching females and less sniffing and licking was directed towards them. The effect of vaginal odour was present up to 3–4 h after the last contact with the secretion. The number of encounters with the vaginal odour and the spacing between them was important in determining the response to mismatching females. Contact with the vaginal secretion as opposed to its volatile components alone was necessary for the discrimination to occur. Discussion centres around the role of the vomeronasal organ and possible physiological pathways underlying the effect.