Female Sex Pheromone in the Skin and Circulation of a Garter Snake

Serums and extracts of tissues from the female garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) each act as a pheromone and elicit male courtship behavior when applied to the back of another male. Since pheromonal activity is present in yolk and liver tissue of untreated females and can be induced with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1981-11, Vol.214 (4521), p.681-683
Main Authors: Garstka, William R., Crews, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Courtship
Estrogens
Fat body
Female
Garter snakes
Hippocampus
Lipids
Lipids - physiology
Liver
Liver - physiology
Male
Male animals
Neurons
Pheromones
Pheromones - metabolism
Physiological aspects
Sex Attractants - blood
Sex Attractants - metabolism
Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology
Skin
Skin - metabolism
Snakes
Snakes - physiology
Thamnophis sirtalis
Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
Vitellogenins - physiology
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Summary:Serums and extracts of tissues from the female garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) each act as a pheromone and elicit male courtship behavior when applied to the back of another male. Since pheromonal activity is present in yolk and liver tissue of untreated females and can be induced with estrogen treatment in the serums and livers of males, the pheromone may be associated with the circulating yolk lipoprotein, vitellogenin.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.7292007