Scent marking and mate choice in the golden hamster.

Test groups consisting of three males and one female were adapted to home areas within a 244 X 122 cm enclosure for a 4-day period. Subsequently, agonistic interactions and patterns of scent marking were recorded daily for 30 min over the duration of the female's 4-day estrous cycle. Alpha males flank marked significantly more than the two subordinates. The former accounted for over 95% of flank gland marking by males on the two days prior to the female's period of sexual receptivity. The female showed increased frequencies of both flank gland and vaginal marking over the three nonreceptive days of the cycle with the highest frequency of marking occurring 24 hr prior to sexual receptivity. During the two days prior to receptivity, the female both vaginal marked and flank marked significantly more in and about the home area of the alpha male. We conclude that the female hamster shows mate choice prior to the onset of sexual receptivity and that both vaginal marks and flank marks are employed to facilitate mating with the alpha male.