Copulatory behavior of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus): II. A study of some factors regulating the fine structure of behavior.

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Abstract
Seven experiments were designed to study the role of a variety of contemporaneous factors in regulating copulatory behavior in deer mice. Changes in copulatory behavior across series within a test reflected changes in both male and female, with the male apparently predominant. Even when mating with females of a species with a very different copulatory pattern (cactus mice [P. eremicus]), male deer mice retained the species-typical pattern. Mating in a 2 male/1 female condition produced little alteration in copulatory behavior from that in the 1 male/1 female condition. Under some test conditions, levels of aggressive behavior in the 2 male/1 female condition can be considerable. There was generally covariation among body weight, social dominance and copulation, with heavier males being dominant and ejaculating more often than lighter males. With a between-groups design, significant differences were detectable as a function of mode of estrus induction. When females were in hormone-induced [estradiol benzoate and progesterone] estrus, mount and intromission latencies were longer and ejaculation frequencies were lower than with either cycling or postpartum estrus. Significant differences between cycling and postpartum estrus were detectable with a within-subjects design. Although mate familiarity may affect the probability of mating, it had little effect on parameters of copulatory behavior once initiated. Effects of both male and female were detected when mating partners were changed between tests and test-retest correlation coefficients were calculated.