Sperm thermotaxis

Formation of a temperature gradient in the rabbit's oviduct at ovulation by a temperature drop at the sperm storage site. The scheme is not drawn to scale, and objects are magnified disproportionally for demonstration purposes.

Sperm thermotaxis is a form of sperm guidance, in which sperm cells (spermatozoa) actively change their swimming direction according to a temperature gradient, swimming up the gradient. Thus far this process has been discovered in mammals only.