The olfactory preference of sexually experienced male and female rats for saline homogenates of preputial glands, submaxillary-sublingual glands and foot pads from animals of the opposite sex was determined, using a two-choice olfactory discrimination apparatus. Nineteen of the 22 females tested preferred the odor of the male preputial gland to that of control tissue (p < 0.005). Sixteen of 18 males preferred the odor of female preputial gland to the control (p < 0.005). The male and female rats did not exhibit any preference for the odor of submaxillary-sublingual glands or foot pads. A 64% increase in female investigating time was found when the male preputial gland homogenate was used in the two-choice situation. Under similar circumstances, a 71% increase in male rat investigating time was recorded if the female preputial gland was used. The experimental data suggested that the saline homogenate of the rat preputial gland contains a substance which is attractive to the opposite sex, while the other tissues tested do not produce any behavioral change at the same homogenate concentration.
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Orsulak et al. (1972) studied this question.