| Title: | Characteristics of urine spraying and scraping the ground with hind paws as scent-marking of captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) |
| Author(s): | Kinoshita K; Suzuki M; Sasaki Y; Yonezawa A; Kamitani H; Okuda R; Ishikawa T; Tsukui K; Kohshima S; |
| Address: | "Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-Sekiden 2-24, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan. kinoshita.kodzue.8v@kyoto-u.ac.jp. Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Tanaka-Sekiden 2-24, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan. Tama Zoological Park, Hino, Tokyo, 191-0042, Japan. Himeji Central Park, Himeji, Hyogo, 679-2121, Japan. Fuji Safari Park, Susono, Shizuoka, 410-1231, Japan. Adventure World (AWS Co. Ltd.), Nishimuro, Wakayama, 649-2201, Japan" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-022-19257-7 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Olfactory communication is common in felids. We observed two scent-markings, urine spraying and scraping the ground with hind paws during excretion, of 25 captive cheetahs. We analyzed the association of sniffing with the timing of urine spraying and scraping, and differences in these behaviors based on sex, age, and captive environment to understand the olfactory communication among cheetahs. Both scent-markings were strongly associated with sniffing, especially scraping, and the presence or absence of scent was thought to be a trigger. Both behaviors were observed only in adults; scraping was observed only in males. To our knowledge, this study was first to confirm the discharge of secretions from the anal glands during scraping. The frequencies of both behaviors were significantly higher in males kept in shared enclosures containing other individuals than in males kept in monopolized enclosures, while there was no difference in the frequencies among females. Female cheetahs are solitary and have non-exclusive home range, whereas male cheetahs are either solitary or live in coalition groups and there are territorial and non-territorial males. Our results could be attributed to the differences in sociality between the sexes and effect of the living environment" |
| Keywords: | *Acinonyx Animals Female Humans Male Odorants Pheromones Smell Territoriality; |
| Notes: | "MedlineKinoshita, Kodzue Suzuki, Misa Sasaki, Yuuta Yonezawa, Aya Kamitani, Hisayoshi Okuda, Ryuta Ishikawa, Tatsuya Tsukui, Kenta Kohshima, Shiro eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2022/09/17 Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 16; 12(1):15594. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19257-7" |
