The time interval between sequential mating affects the response of male meadow voles to previous mates

Abstract

Male meadow voles differed in their copulatory behaviour, mating and reproductive success, and odour preferences for successively encountered mates, when the interval between pairing with two females was 1 h, 1 day, 4 days, 7 days or 10 days. Male voles had shorter latencies to first ejaculation with female 2 than with female 1 when the interval was 1 h, which may be attributed to heightened sexual arousal in males for female 2. Males also had shorter copulatory bouts with female 2 than with female 1 when the intervals between pairings were 1 h and 1 day. Shorter copulation bouts may allow more mating opportunities for both sexes and encourage multiple mating. Male voles also preferred the scent marks of female 2 to those of female 1 when the interval between pairing was 7 or 10 days, suggesting that these females were treated as distinct entities.