Reproductive Behaviour involve behaviour patterns associated with courtship, copulation, birth, maternal care and with suckling attempts of newborn. It is species specific behaviour

1. Reproductive BehaviourReproductive Behaviour
in Animalsin Animals
Dr. Rabie H. FayedDr. Rabie H. Fayed

2. Definition of reproductive
behaviour
 Reproductive Behaviour involve
behaviour patterns associated
with courtship, copulation, birth,
maternal care and with suckling
attempts of newborn. It is species
specific behaviour

3. Functions of reproductive behaviour
 bring the individual together (male and
female ).
 Conservation of the species and for the
continuity of their life.
 Synchronize the activities of male and
female ( ova and sperm).
 Produce a new progney (selective)
species
 It is a species-specific behaviour

4. Components of reproductive behaviour
 Sexual Behaviour (Male and Female)
 Precopulatory behaviour
 Copulatory behaviour
 Postcopulatory behaviour
 Maternal behaviour
 Preparturient Behaviour
 Parturient behaviour
 Post-parturient behaviour

5. 1-Sexual Behaviour
‫الجنســى‬ ‫السلوك‬

6. Definition
 Sexual behaviour involves not only the
act of mating, but also all those
elements of courtship, display, motor
activities and postures which have a
unity with coitus to achieve
fertilization and pregnancy .
 Each Species has special sexual
behaviour (Species-specific) and
within species there is a differences
between male and female .

7. Components of Sexual behaviour
 Precopulatory behaviour
 Copulatory behaviour
 Postcopulatory behaviour

8. 1.A. Pre-copulatory
Behaviour
In Male :
- Sexual desire (Libido) or arousal
-Courtship (Pre-copulatory behaviour)

9. Sexual desire in Camel
Pulla or Kolla (Rut)

10. Male Pre-copulatory behaviour
(Courtship Or Foreplay)
A-Chemical Communication (Olfaction &
gustatory)
B- Tactile communication
C- Auditory communication

11. 1-Chemical Communication
(Olfaction & gustatory)
Through sniffing and licking to
 The female genital opening
 or urine
 or the bedding
to detect chemical substance called Pheromones
 ● Response of the male
 (Chin resting behaviour)
 Flehmen phenomenon
 Camel rises his limb on his neck
 ●Response of female
 Standing behaviour

12. Detection of oestrus in cow

13. Detection of oestrus in Buffaloes

14. Sniffing and smelling of Urine

15. Detection of oestrus in Cats

16. Detection of oestrus in Camels

17. Response of camel

18. 2-Tactile communication
 The male lick and nuzzling the perineal
region of female (sheep, goat, cattle )
 In horse: the stallion bites the female at
the neck.
 Swine : the male noses the female at
the flank region.

19. Courtship in Horse

20. Foreplay in horses

21. Courtship in Goats

22. Courtship in Goats

23. Courtship in Birds (Waltz(

24. Displaying behaviour in bears

25. 3-Auditory communication
• Vocalization increases during courtship
• Stallion ___________ Snort
• Ram ___________ baaing

26. Response of Male

27. Chin resting Behaviour

28. Flehmen phenomenon
 The male raise its head
 Extends the neck
 Curling upper lip( exposing of the teeth)
 Opening of the nostrils

29. Flehmen in Buffaloes

30. Flehmen in Goats

31. Flehmen in Horse

32. Female Pre-copulatory behaviour
(Courtship or Clues(
• The Female in oestrus must provide the
clues (Stimuli( for mating to the male as:
• A-Chemical or Olfactory communication
• B- Visual communication
• C- Auditory communication
• D- Tactile communication
• E- Motor clues( Posture & movement(

33. A-Chemical Clues or
Olfactory Communication
By pheromones (chemical substance )
 - She-camel (poll gland)
 - Queen (special gland, anal gland)
 - male rat detect oesterus female at some
distance by odour.
 - male dogs are attracted to the urine of
oesterus bitch.
 - Presence of phermones in urine of cattle

34. B- Visual clues or
communication
Chimpanzees
Swelling and reddening of the skin at
the perennial region called sexual skin

35. Two males grooming near an
estrous female Chimpanzee

36. C- Auditory
communication
Through vocalization during oestrus as:
 -Cow : bellow
 -Ewe : bleat
 -Mare : snort
 -Cat : emits a heat cry

37. D- Tactile communication
Through
-licking (cow, sheep)
-mutual grooming (monkey)
-and rubbing (cats (

38. E-Motor clues( Posture &
movement(
 Pro-estrous females show :
 increased motor activities restless and
continuous moving
 Standing heat in cow
 Female lion (lioness) : may crawl up to
and squeeze underneath the lion if he is
not responsive to her advances and odour

39. Pre-copulatory in lioness

40. 1.B. Copulatory Behaviour

41. Male copulatory behaviour
 Erection and protrusion of penis
 Mounting and fixation
 Intromission
 Ejaculation and ejaculatory thrust
 Dismounting

42. Erection behaviour in Stallion

43. Erection and protrusion of penis
from prepuce
• In most animals,
erection occurs
before mounting .

44. Erection in Camels
• in camel the full protrusion occur after mounting

45. Mounting and fixation
In she camel the mounting occur in sitting position
In cat and Rabbit the male bite the scruff ( behind
the head or at the neck
• Successful mounting
• Mounts ____ fixation of his fore legs around the
female ____ grasp her firmly ___ pelvic thrusts
• False Mounting

46. Mounting and Fixation in Buffalo

47. Mounting, Fixation and Ejaculation
in Horse

48. Copulation in goats

49. Mounting and Fixation in cats

50. Mounting in Rabbits

51. Mounting & fixation in Deer

52. Mounting in Camels
In sitting position

53. Mounting in dogs

54. Anthomyiidae flies mating

55. mating in frog

56. mating in southern pacific snake

57. Chimpanzee mating

58. Intromission
• contraction of the abdominal muscle
(rectus abdomenus) results :
• the direct contact (apposition) of the pelvic
region of male to the female external
genitalia then the intromission occur
(copulation )

59. Intromission in Horse

60. Ejaculation and ejaculatory
thrust
• reach the os-cervix
in cattle and sheep
• reach the uterus
in horse and swine
• general muscle contraction
in ram, buck, and bull
Dismounting:
penis soon retracted into the prepuce

61. Female Copulatory behaviour
 Oestrus pattern
 Oestrus detection
 Receptivity and mating by the male

62. Oestrus pattern
 Spontaneous poly-estrus
 cow mare she ass
 Seasonally :
 mono oestrus (bitch)
 Di oestrus (queen)
 Poly oestrus (ewe, she camel)
 Non-spontaneous poly-estrus after coitus
 (rabbit, cat, ferret)

63. Oestrus detection
 In cow:
 Bellowing
 Mounting on other cows
 Standing heat
 Restlessness and excitable
 In Mare
 Frequent urination
 Winking (movement of clitoris)
 Straddling posture

64. Oestrus detection
 In Ewe:
 Teaser Ram
 Switching tail
 Frequent urination
 In Cat
 Lordosis
 In She-camel
 Seek the male
 Stand still mounted by male

65. Cow mounting other cow

66. Receptivity and mating by the male
 When the male approach the female:
 standing heat as in farm animals
 The female cat, rabbit, and swine take the
lordosis (Crouched)
 - the female stimulated by the male
 - arched back, and downward at the center
 - bring the chest in contact with the
ground.
 - bring the genital region up.
 - the tail if present is turned to one side.

67. Lioness does not in Receptivity

68. Bitch does not in Receptivity

69. 1.C. Post-copulatory
Behaviour

70. Male post-copulatory Behaviour
Refractory Period
• Refractoriness:
• Post-coital displays are scarce in domestic animals
• Most animals show sexual inactivity immediately
after copulation
• Ram and bulk in exception usually lick the penis
after ejaculation .
• Cats smell the site of copulation .
• The duration of this period is variable and modified
by environmental stimuli ( 5 min to one hour )
• This period is decreased by changing the female

71. Male post-copulatory Behaviour
• Frequency of copulation :
• Varies with species, breed, ratio of male and
female, climate, and period of sexual rest.
• High No. of ejaculation is in bull and Rams than
Stallion and b Boar.
• Bulls copulate 80 times/ 24 hours
• The bulk, Stallion reach exhaustion after smaller
No. of ejaculation

72. Female post-copulatory Behaviour
Orgasm-Like reaction
• Orgasm-like reaction
• Occur in cow just after copulation
• The cow arches her back and elevate
the tail and keep this urinating
posture for several minutes

73. Female post-copulatory Behaviour
• Post-mating behaviour in Queen:
• As the male withdraws his penis after
ejaculation and due to spines, it cause
pain and the cat make a dramatic cry .
• The cat turn aggressively on the male.
• In case of familiar male, she again rolls
on the floor and licks her vulva .

74. Abnormal sexual behaviour
A- In Male
 1- Homosexuality
 2- Hypo- & hyper sexuality
 3- Inability to copulate
 A- Impotence to mount
 B- intromission failure
 4- Buller-steer syndrome
 5-Auto-erotic behaviour
 6- False ejaculation
 7- Outside ejaculation

75. Buller-Steer Syndrome
This a common health and economic problem in
feedlot operations . The typical buller-steer
sexually attracts his penmates who take turns
following and mounting the abnormal animal.
It does not seem to be associated with rank,
and may be due to boredom. When detected,
bullers are segregated and treated for injury
or illness. Approximately 2% of steers in a
feedlot situation are buller steers

76. False Mounting

77. Unsuccessful mounting in cattle

78. Abnormal sexual behaviour
 Atypical sexual behaviour, such as
homosexuality, hypersexuality, masturbatory
behaviour, may be caused by genetic flaws,
endocrine imbalances, management
problems, and in many cases may be
reversed .
 Masturbation in males is common, especially
in bulls on a high protein diet .
 Humans may modify behaviour by processes
such as castration, spaying and endocrine
implants to increase production and ease of
handling .

79. Abnormal sexual behaviour
B- In Female
 1- Silent heat
 2- Nymphomania
 3- Post-partum Anoestrus
 4- Mounting humans
 5- Delayed puberty
 Post-coital dramatic behaviour in

- Dog

- cats

80. Nymphomania
Such cows behave like bulls, pawing and
mounting but refuse to stand for
mounting by other cows. It could be an
inherited trait. It is more common in
high-producing dairy cows than in cows
of beef breeds. Nymphomania is
usually associated with follicular cysts .

81. Abnormal post-coital behaviour in
cats

82. Abnormal post-coital behaviour in
dogs