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- Title
COPULATORY PLUGS OF ROUND-TAILED GROUND SQUIRRELS (XEROSPERMOPHILUS TERETICAUDUS).
- Authors
Munroe, Karen E.; Koprowski, John L.
- Abstract
Sperm competition, where sperm from more than one male competes to fertilize eggs within the reproductive tract of a female, is prevalent in mammals. In rodents, this competition often has led to copulatory plugs, a passive defense against further sperm competition. Copulatory plugs have been reported in many species of sciurids; however, not in round-tailed ground squirrels (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus). Here we report two observations of copulatory plugs in round-tailed ground squirrels and suggest they represent an indirect form of mate guarding in affording males a chance to seek additional mating opportunities as seen in other species of rodents
- Subjects
ROUND-tailed ground squirrel; SPERM competition; FEMALE reproductive organs; RODENTS; SCIURIDAE; ANIMAL sexual behavior
- Publication
Southwestern Naturalist, 2012, Vol 57, Issue 2, p208
- ISSN
0038-4909
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1894/0038-4909-57.2.208