Titre |
Scent marking and contact call production in ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). |
Descripteur matière |
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Descripteur géographique |
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Résumé |
Lemurs are well equipped with scent-producing glands and use olfactory signals for communication. The most intensely studied species is the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). This species has sex-specific marking behaviour. Although both sexes use genital marking, only males mark with their forearms. Experimental studies suggested that male ring-tailed lemurs could identify the sex of the scent donor [1]. Female marking was not affected by the breeding cycle and male marking increased during the breeding season [2]. In the wild, there is individual variation in marking frequency and individuals have preferred marking sites, which are concentrated in the areas where the home ranges of troops overlap [3]. Territory demarcation is the only function of scent marking that has been studied. |