| Title: | Scent-marking behaviour and social dynamics in a wild population of Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx |
| Author(s): | Vogt K; Zimmermann F; Kolliker M; Breitenmoser U; |
| Address: | "KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, Thunstrasse 31, CH-3074 Muri, Switzerland; Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: k.vogt@kora.ch. KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, Thunstrasse 31, CH-3074 Muri, Switzerland. Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland. KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, Thunstrasse 31, CH-3074 Muri, Switzerland; Institute of Veterinary Virology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.017 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1872-8308 (Electronic) 0376-6357 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Scent-marking is widespread among mammals and has been observed in many felid species. Although the behaviour is well-described, little is known about its function in wild felid populations. We investigated patterns of scent-marking and its role in intra- and intersexual communication among resident and non-resident Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx by observing interactions among wild lynx at natural marking sites by means of infrared camera traps. Marking activity of resident animals showed a peak during the mating season and was lowest during the time when females gave birth and lactated. Both sexes scent-marked, but male lynx visited marking sites much more often than females and marked relatively more often when visiting a site. Most visits to marking sites were by residents but we also observed scent-marking by non-residents. Juveniles were never observed marking. We found no evidence of lynx regularly renewing scent-marks after a certain 'expiry date' but the presence of a strange scent-mark triggered over-marking. Males responded similarly to the presence of another individual's scent-mark, irrespective of whether it was the top- or the underlying scent-mark in a mixture of scent-marks they encountered. Our results suggest that marking sites could serve as 'chemical bulletin boards', where male lynx advertise their presence and gain information on ownership relationships in a given area. Females placed their urine marks on top of the ones left by resident males, but further studies are needed to explain the functions of over-marking in females" |
| Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals Female Lynx/*physiology Male *Pheromones Sexual Behavior, Animal/*physiology *Social Behavior Camera trapping Chemical communication Competition Lynx lynx Over-marking Scent-marking;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineVogt, Kristina Zimmermann, Fridolin Kolliker, Mathias Breitenmoser, Urs eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2014/05/13 Behav Processes. 2014 Jul; 106:98-106. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.017. Epub 2014 May 6" |
