MEASURING OF THE POSTCOPULATORY DEPARTURE IN MALE-RATS

Spontaneous departure from the female was observed in male rats during testing of instrumental sexual responses. Male rats were tested in an apparatus consisting of two compartments connected by a runway compos ed of four parallel corridors. The final corridor of the runway and th e goal compartment as well as the goal compartment and the start compa rtment were connected by one-way doors enabling the male to run only i n one direction. An incentive female was tethered in the goal compartm ent. After contact with the female, lasting up to the end of a mount b out, or after exploration of the goal compartment, if the copulatory b ehaviour was not displayed, the male spontaneously passed to the start compartment and a new run started thereafter. The male thus performed the runs through the apparatus without any intervention from the expe rimenter.