Changes in mating vocalizations over the ejaculatory series in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) produce ultrasonic calls during mating. We examined changes in the structure and pattern of such vocalizations over the ejaculatory series. In Experiment 1, vocalizations were recorded from 11 pairs of rats through 3 ejaculatory series and analyzed spectrographically. We classified 4 categories of call by spectral frequency and duration. Calls of low frequency, long duration, and high intensity occurred more often shortly before the ejaculation and were associated with mounting without intromission, a behavior that often occurs shortly before ejaculation. The high-frequency calls did not vary in number across the series. In Experiment 2, vocalizations were recorded from males paired with devocalized females. Males produced all vocalization patterns produced by pairs in Experiment 1. Results suggest that most pre-ejaculatory calls are produced by males and may potentially affect female sexual behavior.