Abstract: Flehmen behavior as a response to olfactory stimuli was studied in sheep.Males respond to odor stimuli by openning the mouth, and lifting the upper lip, with the head moving up and down, inhaling and exhaling. The duration of flehmen averages 60-120 seconds.The flehmen response typically occurs after detecting an interesting smell - urine, feces, a female's vulva or odor from other body parts of the females.The typical stimulus causing the flehmen response is female urine. Rams show more flehmen in response to urine of estrus ones than of those not in heat, and preferable to urine of another breed of sheep(Fig.2).

Key words: Behavior, Sheep, Urine, Flehmen, Odor, Olfactory organ, Vomeronasal organ, Reproduction

摘要： 本文研究了绵羊对不同品种公母羊的尿液、母羊粪便、阴道分泌物、身体的气味等刺激物诱导卷唇行为的发生,持续约60—120秒。实验得出:母羊尿液是诱导公羊释放卷唇行为最强的刺激物,尤以发情母羊尿液更甚,公羊、幼羊以及其它的尿液诱导卷唇行为发生的频次低。卷唇行为发生的频次有季节变化,10月最高。卷唇行为与犁鼻器的功能紧密联系,是绵羊繁殖行为的一个构成部分,通常只有公羊发生卷唇行为,但个别母羊亦有表现。

关键词: 行为, 绵羊, 尿液, 卷唇行为, 气味, 嗅觉器官, 犁鼻器官, 繁殖