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Effects of vaginal–cervical stimulation in seven species of muroid rodents

Summary. Six species of muroid rodents (Peromyscus californicus, P. eremicus, P. gossypinus, Mesocricetus auratus, Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus) were given artificial vaginal–cervical stimulation in an attempt to induce pseudopregnancy. Some females of each species became pseudopregnant, but it was not clear that stimulation patterns mimicking the copulatory patterns of conspecific males were more effective than other patterns of stimulation. In the non-domesticated species (Peromyscus and R. rattus) a few females responded to a variety of stimulus conditions, and no species differences in responsiveness among the wild species were evident. The established laboratory rodents (R. norvegicus, M. auratus) were markedly more responsive to artificial stimulation, suggesting possible effects of domestication on fecundity and reactions to handling. Microtus ochrogaster, an induced ovulator, ovulated in response to vaginal– cervical stimulation only if one intromission from a male was also provided. No other differences in the responses of reflex and spontaneous ovulators were apparent.