Effect of novel and familiar mating partners on the duration of sexual receptivity in the female hamster

The lordosis duration of the female golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) in response to novel and familiar mating partners was examined. In Experiment 1, females mated to the point of sexual satiation with one male hamster, and following its removal, showed renewed receptivity in response to the introduction of a second male. Upon sexual satiation with the second male, females either received a novel third male or were reexposed to the original male. Total lordosis duration in the third bout in the group receiving a novel male was significantly greater than in the group reexposed to the original male. In Experiment 2, the insertion of a 1-h delay between the second and the third mating partner had no effect on the female's responsiveness, regardless of whether the third male was the original male or a novel male. In Experiment 3, removal of the ovaries followed by hormone replacement treatment (40 micrograms estradiol benzoate, 72 h prior to testing, and 500 micrograms progesterone, 4 h prior to testing) failed to alter the females' ability to discriminate between novel and familiar mating partners. These results demonstrate that females make clear discriminations among individual mating partners, that this can affect sexual receptivity and will continue to do so following a delay of at least 1 h, and that the effect is not mediated by the release of ovarian steroids.