Responses of male hamsters to odors of females in different reproductive states.

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Abstract
The responses of male hamsters to the odors of estrous, diestrous, pregnant and lactating female hamsters were investigated. Scent-marking by males in the soiled cages of females was less frequent when the females were estrous (day 1 of the cycle) than when females were on days 2, 3 or 4. Sexually experienced males (but not sexually naive males) preferred the odors of bedding material from the cages of estrous females over odors of bedding of diestrous females. Both of these effects were eliminated by surgically removing the vagina and thereby eliminating vaginal secretions. The quantity of vaginal secretions deposited in the vicinity of the nest may be responsible for the observed effects. Neither males with sexual experience nor males with both sexual and nonsexual experience with females demonstrated preferences for the odors of the estrous or diestrous females themselves. Males were more attracted to the odors emanating directly from estrous females than to the odors of pregnant or lactating females. For hamsters the important sexual message may not be estrous vs. diestrous but rather will soon be estrous (i.e., cycling) vs. not soon estrous (i.e., pregnant, lactating or acyclic).