Recovery from sexual satiety in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi).

Two experiments were completed in order to delineate the time course of recovery from sexual satiety in deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi. The total numbers of ejaculations and intromissions attained in satiety tests were significantly decreased on the day following satiation and recovered gradually as measured in tests run after 3 and 7 days of recovery. Whereas some measures characteristic of individual series were altered by incomplete recovery, others were unaffected. In Experiment 2, most males ejaculated every day when tested for 5 consecutive days; the number of ejaculations per test was lowered after Day 1, but then remained relatively constant. The pattern of measures changing with recovery has implications for the development of control models of sexual behavior. The limited capacity of males to produce ejaculates (M = 12.2/5 days) implies that males should be selected for prudence in allocating ejaculates.