The appearance of a decisive component of the sexual response to chemosexual signals in themale donkey was investigated through a comparison of the variations in the time-span of thebehavioral classes and units for the natural versus induced breeding seasons. The resultsdemonstrate that there are significant variations in the length of the appetitive sexual behavior(ASB) and consummatory sexual behavior (CSB) under these two reproductive conditions. Thesedifferences are analyzed for the ASB, which is adaptable, compared with the stereotyped CSB.For the ASB, male isolation is the most represented behavior of both the natural and inducedbreeding seasons. This is the key that allows the passage from courtship, which consist ofappetitive behaviors, to copula, the consummatory behavior. This isolation appears to provide thetime required to activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis through the chemosexualpathway of pheromone stimuli. This isolation is lengthened with induced breeding, supportingthe hypothesis of the activation of the neuroendocrine system, which is not ‘primed’ outside thenatural breeding season, and which is necessary to release the stereotyped CSB.[...]
Male Isolation: A behavioral representation of the pheromonal ‘Female Effect’ in donkey (Equus asinus)
CARLUCCIO, Augusto;CONTRI, ALBERTO;DE AMICIS, Ippolito;
2013-01-01
Abstract
The appearance of a decisive component of the sexual response to chemosexual signals in themale donkey was investigated through a comparison of the variations in the time-span of thebehavioral classes and units for the natural versus induced breeding seasons. The resultsdemonstrate that there are significant variations in the length of the appetitive sexual behavior(ASB) and consummatory sexual behavior (CSB) under these two reproductive conditions. Thesedifferences are analyzed for the ASB, which is adaptable, compared with the stereotyped CSB.For the ASB, male isolation is the most represented behavior of both the natural and inducedbreeding seasons. This is the key that allows the passage from courtship, which consist ofappetitive behaviors, to copula, the consummatory behavior. This isolation appears to provide thetime required to activate the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis through the chemosexualpathway of pheromone stimuli. This isolation is lengthened with induced breeding, supportingthe hypothesis of the activation of the neuroendocrine system, which is not ‘primed’ outside thenatural breeding season, and which is necessary to release the stereotyped CSB.[...]I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
