Presentation Details
| Urine as a Social Cue: Olfactory Discrimination and Scent-Marking Behavior in the Coyote Caroline E Long1, Dustin H Ranglack2, Sara M Freeman1. 1Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA.2USDA APHIS WS National Wildlife Research Center, Utah Field Station, Millville, UT, USA |
Abstract
Scent-marking behavior is well-documented in coyotes (Canis latrans). Coyotes use urine and scratching to demarcate territorial boundaries and to communicate within social groups. For urine to function as a salient social cue, coyotes must be able to distinguish their own scent from the scent of a conspecific. To investigate olfactory discrimination and communication in the coyote, we presented individual, captive coyotes (n=19) with paired urine stimuli from self and an age-matched stranger. Male and female coyotes representing three different life history stages were tested in breeding and non-breeding seasons. Olfactory investigation and visual vigilance varied across life history stages, with younger individuals generally exhibiting greater sniffing and vigilance at stimuli than older coyotes. Scent-marking behavior was higher during the breeding season than the non-breeding season (p < 0.05), with patterns suggesting context-dependent differences in responses to self versus stranger stimuli. Coyotes were slower to approach stranger urine than their own (p< 0.05), demonstrating olfactory discrimination and supporting a role for urine in mediating social behavior.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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