Mating Behavior
Animal Breeding
Pensacola Jr College
Female Mating
Behavior
w Estrus = period when female
receptive and will stand for mating (+ lordosis etc)
w Physiological correlation
to:
• High estrogen levels
• Changes in vaginal cell
structure
• ovulation
Estrus Sensory
Induction
w Smell:
• Male pheromones from urine,
sheath glands, wool, facial glands, etc.
w Touch:
• Courtship behaviors
including biting, licking, rubbing, leg tapping, etc.
Estrus Detection –
behavioral observation
w Homosexual mounting
w Rigid stance (especially in
pigs and rodents)
w Vulval winking in horses
w Female sounds and posture
w Response to teaser males
Tigers at
Minnesota Zoo
Hormones (lines) +
Behaviors (black)
Male Mating
Behavior
w Following and courting
females, mounting, etc.
w Physiological correlation
to:
• Increased testosterone at
puberty
• Increased testosterone in
mating season
• Increased testosterone in
presence of receptive female
Males – sensory
induction
w Social interaction within
species before puberty
w Smell:
• Female pheromones from urine
of estrus females
w Sight:
• Visual observation of
mounting or still individual
w Touch:
• Temperature/pressure on
penis
Erection /
Ejaculation
w Dependent on nervous system
responses to stimuli
w Timing:
• seconds in bulls
• hours in some carnivores
w Volume:
• microliters in some
carnivores and rodents
• Half a liter in some pig
species
Libido
w Male sex drive
w Desire and ability to mate
and ejaculate
w Impotence = inability of
male to mate or ejaculate
• Many factors may be causes
Impotence affected
by:
w Nutrition
w Disease
w Injury
w Sexual exhaustion
w Sexual satiety
Interaction of
male and female mating behaviors?