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22 February 2020 Scent anointing in mammals: functional and motivational insights from giant pandas
B. D. Charlton, M. A. Owen, H. Zhang, R. R. Swaisgood
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Although 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. In this study we presented giant pandas with a range of odors to determine whether scent matching could provide a functional explanation for scent anointing in this species. We found that only a musk-based perfume elicited significantly more scent-anointing and scent-marking behavior than control. Males were also significantly more likely to scent-anoint and scent-mark than females. A preference for anointing, but not scent marking, when presented with peppermint (an insecticide) also was revealed. Our results suggest that giant pandas differentially scent-anoint with foreign odors to signal home range occupation, and possibly to repel ectoparasites. We also highlight how chemical signaling of resource-holding potential is likely to play an important role in determining competitive interactions between adult male giant pandas.

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Mammalogists, www.mammalogy.org.
B. D. Charlton, M. A. Owen, H. Zhang, and R. R. Swaisgood "Scent anointing in mammals: functional and motivational insights from giant pandas," Journal of Mammalogy 101(2), 582-588, (22 February 2020). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa014
Received: 21 June 2019; Accepted: 31 January 2020; Published: 22 February 2020
KEYWORDS
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
chemical communication
scent anointing
scent presentation tests
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