[The influence of sexual experience on sexual motivation and copulatory behavior in male rats]

The influence of sexual experience on male behavior induced by a possible sexual or social partner was studied in 12-month-old Wistar rats in direct interaction or under conditions excluding their direct partner contact. Sexually experienced males demonstrated an interest towards a social partner situated behind the partition to a greater extent than sexually naive males, whereas in direct contact sexually naive males showed greater communicative behavior than experienced ones. All the males demonstrated greatest activity in the presence of a receptive female. Sexual experience did not influence the motivational component of male sexual arousal: the intensity of sexual motivation in the presence of a receptive female did not differ in experienced and naive males. However, sexual experience significantly changed the character of consummatory pattern of sexual behavior increasing its expression. The frequency of such copulatory parameters as mounts and intromissions amount was increased while latency time was decreased.