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Scent anointing in mammals: functional and motivational insights from giant pandas

dc.contributor.authorCharlton, Benjamin D.
dc.contributor.authorOwen, Megan A.
dc.contributor.authorZhang, H.
dc.contributor.authorSwaisgood, Ronald R.
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-29T22:01:48Z
dc.date.available2020-05-29T22:01:48Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.identifier.issn0022-2372
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/jmammal/gyaa014
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12634/325
dc.descriptionAnyone who has ever seen a bear, dog, or large cat roll in some odoriferous substance has surely wondered what the animal is trying to accomplish. When we observed giant pandas rolling in urine, alcohol and other strong-smelling substances, rubbing it on their faces and necks like a cat with catnip, we decided we needed to conduct an experiment to understand this unusual behavior. We systematically placed various odoriferous substances in pandas’ habitats at the Wolong Breeding Center, and documented their response. Our findings suggest that pandas may anoint with foreign odours to signal home range occupation, and the behavior may play an important role in determining competitive interactions between adult male giant pandas. These studies are part of a larger research program to understand communication and social behaviors to facilitate conservation breeding of the species.
dc.description.abstractAlthough several mammals impregnate their fur with environmental odors, a phenomenon termed scent anointing or rubbing, the functional relevance of this behavior often is unclear. One theory is that scent anointing could be a form of scent matching with environmental odors to signal competitiveness and home range occupation....
dc.language.isoen
dc.relation.urlhttps://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/101/2/582/5748363
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists, www.mammalogy.org.
dc.subjectGIANT PANDAS
dc.subjectBEHAVIOR
dc.subjectCOMPETITION
dc.subjectTERRITORIALITY
dc.titleScent anointing in mammals: functional and motivational insights from giant pandas
dc.typeArticle
dc.source.journaltitleJournal of Mammalogy
dc.source.volume101
dc.source.issue2
dc.source.beginpage582
dc.source.endpage588
dcterms.dateAccepted2020
html.description.abstractAlthough several mammals impregnate their fur with environmental odors, a phenomenon termed scent anointing or rubbing, the functional relevance of this behavior often is unclear. One theory is that scent anointing could be a form of scent matching with environmental odors to signal competitiveness and home range occupation....


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  • Conservation Science Publications
    Works by SDZWA's Conservation Scientists and co-authors. Includes books, book sections, articles and conference publications and presentations.

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