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The in vitro survival of ejaculated and epididymal goat sperm was measured in a milk diluent while being incubated at + 37 degrees C and after having been exposed to seminal plasma or to its components. Non-breeding season seminal plasma had a negative effect on sperm survival whether the cells were cooled to + 20 degrees C, chilled to + 4 degrees C or deep-frozen (- 196 degrees C) before being incubated at + 37 degrees C. Bulbo-urethral gland secretions also had a deleterious effect on the survival of washed ejaculated and epididymal sperm cooled to + 20 degrees C. The deleterious effect of the bulbo-urethral secretions on sperm survival and motility was significantly inhibited by the vesicular secretions. Non-breeding season seminal plasma contained bulbo-urethral but little or no vesicular secretions. The non-inhibition of their negative effect(s) may explain that of non-breeding season seminal plasma. Breeding season and non-breeding season washed ejaculated sperm had a better survival and a better motility than those incubated with breeding season seminal plasma. The mild washing procedure used may be responsible for the incomplete removal of seminal plasma from the sperm environment, namely that of the negative factors of the bulbo-urethral secretions. Breeding season seminal plasma would thus simply inhibit the effect of these negative factors or the factors themselves. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that breeding season seminal plasma had no effect on the survival of epididymal sperm.