Temporal patterns of sexual behavior in rabbits as determined by an automatic recording technique |
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| Authors: | H. B. Rubin and N. H. Azrin |
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| Abstract: | Sexual behavior between rabbits was automatically recorded by means of electrodes attached externally to the unrestrained animals. Current flowed only when the animals came into physical contact; the duration and amplitude of the current flow provided a means of automatic differentiation between sexual and other types of physical contact. Various temporal aspects of sexual behavior were revealed: (1) copulation was preceded by a series of thrusts that occurred at a constant frequency of 13 to 14 thrusts per sec; (2) the duration of a copulation was about 1.5 sec and could be as brief as 0.3 sec; (3) copulation was much more likely during the hours between dusk and dawn despite constant illumination; (4) copulations occurred in groups or “runs” characterized by many copulations within a few hours; (5) each run began with a high rate of copulation that often decreased over time; (6) between runs, several hours or days passed with little or no sexual activity; and (7) a run of copulations was noted at the end of every 16- to 20-day period (which corresponds to the known period of pseudopregnancy in rabbits) whether or not other runs occurred within this period. |
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