Sociality and signaling activity modulate information flow in river otter communication networks

Abstract

…In concert, our results suggest that in river otters, scent-marking decisions minimize signal dilution by being performed in small groups and maximize the receivers through preferential signaling at latrines with higher, more recent activity. Because signaling decisions in social animals are linked to key life-history events such as mating and group membership shifts, understanding their individual and population-level drivers can be crucial.