The retention of copulatory ability in male rats following castration.

Abstract

Forty-five tf rats were castrated at the age of 90 days. All demonstrated the ability to copulate after castration, but there was much variability in the persistence of sexual aggressiveness and copulatory ability. Some of the rats ceased to copulate during the 1st week after castration; others copulated during 8 monthsthereafter. Considering the groups, 33% of the castrates had ceased to copulate before the end of the 1st month; 45% at the end of the 2nd month; 57%, the 3rd; 74%, the 4th; 79%, the 5th; and 91%, the 6th. No substantial difference in the retention of copulatory ability in those allowed a limited amount of copulatory experience prior to castration and those castrated prior to copulatory experience was found. From the experiment it is inferred that exercise of the copulatory mechanism alone will not insure the persistence of sexual aggressiveness or offset the usual post-castration atrophy of the accessory sexual apparatus.