EJACULATORY PATTERN OF LLAMAS DURING COPULATION

The objective of this study was to use transrectal digital palpation o f urethral pulses to define the ejaculatory pattern of llamas during c opulation. Five male llamas were palpated during 5 to 6 copulations ea ch with receptive female llamas (n=28 copulations). The time from firs t exposure of a male to a female until mounting was 0.7+/-1.+/-1.1 min (mean+/-SD), time to the first intromission was 1.7+/-1.4 min, and ti me from initial mount to final dismount (copulation duration) was 21.7 +/-7.8 min. A total of 121.9+/-61.0 urethral pulses per copulation (5. 6+/-1.7 pulses/min) was palpated. During the first 3.9+/-3.7 min of co pulation, urethral pulses (11.0+/-10.1 urethral pulses at 3.5+/-2.5 pu lses/min) occurred randomly and were not associated with whole-body st rains. After the first 4 min of copulation, urethral pulses occurred i n a pattern of clusters of frequent urethral pulses associated with wh ole-body strains, alternating with intercluster intervals of infrequen t urethral pulses without whole-body strains. Individual clusters were characterized by 4.3+/-2.7 urethral pulses at 16.7+/-4.5 pulses/min d uring strains, and intercluster intervals were characterized by 1.7+/- 2.3 urethral pulses at 2.2+/-1.8 pulses/min. Each cluster of urethral pulses during a strain was preceded by 2.3+/-1.8 repositions of the ma le's hindlegs and by 38.1+/-20.8 pelvic thrusts. There were 18.5+/-10. 6 clusters of urethral pulses accompanied by strains per copulation at 0.9+/-0.3 clusters/min. The 18 to 19 clusters of urethral pulses appe ared to be individual ejaculations. Therefore, we hypothesize that lla mas ejaculated 18 to 19 times during their 22-min copulations.