TY - GEN ID - cogprints6219 UR - http://cogprints.org/6219/ A1 - Kristal, Dr. Mark B. A1 - Graber, Gary C. Y1 - 1976/// N2 - Prior parturitional experience and genotype have previously been found to affect the proportion of nonpregnant female rats and mice that will eat foster placenta. The present series of experiments was designed to investigate the influence of estrous cycle stage on placentophagia in rats. Foster placenta was presented to nonpregnant Long-Evans females, purchased from a commercial breeder, for 15 min on 5 consecutive days. We found that virgin placentophages were most likely to have eaten placenta on the first presentation, unless the first presentation occurred during proestrus. In fact, virgins would not eat placenta for the first time during proestrus, regardless of test-day. However, once they had eaten placenta, either in a nonproestrus stage, or, in the case of primiparae, during parturition, they would eat placenta during proestrus. Long-Evans rats born in our laboratory differed from the purchased rats, manifesting an incidence of placentophagia that was too low to be analyzed by stage of the estrous cycle; when tested as primiparae, however, there were no differences between the two groups. PB - Pergamin Press and Brain Research Publ. KW - placentophagia KW - estrous cycle KW - birthplace KW - parturitional experience KW - maternal behavior KW - rats TI - Placentophagia in Nonpregnant Rats: Influence of Estrous Cycle Stage and Birthplace SP - 599 AV - public EP - 605 ER -