ODORS PROVIDING SEXUAL INFORMATION IN DJUNGARIAN HAMSTERS - EVIDENCE FOR AN ACROSS-ODOR CODE

Experiments were conducted to determine the repertoire of odors that a re involved in sexual recognition and communication about reproductive state in Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus campbelli). By examining the p references of males for odors of females over those of males, it was f ound that some odors support preferences across female reproductive st ates, other odors induce preferences only during estrus, and yet other odors do not elicit sexual preferences. Similarly, female preferences for male odors was restricted to just some scents. Males were also te sted for their preferences for female odors from different reproductiv e states (diestrous, day before parturition, post-partum estrus). Four different odors were found to vary in attractiveness with these repro ductive states, and there were three different patterns of change: (1) mouth and urine odors were attractive just during post-partum estrous ; (2) midventral gland was most attractive the day before parturition; (3) vaginal secretions showed a graded pattern of attractiveness, pea king at post-partum estrus. These results show that different odors pr ovide some redundant and some different information, and they suggest that an across-odor code could be used to provide very precise informa tion about a female's reproductive state. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc .