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Identification of Volatiles from the Secretions and Excretions of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus)

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Abstract

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to identify 103 organic compounds from urine, feces, anal glands, and preputial glands of free-ranging African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus. Aliphatic acids were the dominant class of compound in all materials. In addition to aliphatic acids, urine contained dimethyl sulfone, 1,3-propanediol, benzoic acid, 1-methyl-2,4-imidazolidinedione, and squalene as major components: feces contained indole and cholesterol; and both contained 2-piperidone, phenol, 4-methyl phenol, benzeneacetic acid, and benzenepropanoic acid and other compounds. Anal gland secretion was particularly rich in cholesterol and fatty acids, and preputial gland secretion rich in squalene. A large majority of the identified compounds have been reported from other mammals, including species sympatric with African wild dogs. Eleven of the African wild dog components have not been reported previously from mammals and have not been found in sympatric species; one component, 1-methylimidazole-5-carboxaldehyde has not been reported previously as a natural product. In the chemical profiles of their urine, feces, and anal gland secretion African wild dogs differ markedly from other canids.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Paul G Allen Family Foundation for its generous support of this research; to the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks for permission to work in Botswana under research permit number EWT 3/3/8 XXIV (71); to the Restek Corporation for supplying columns and consumables, and to Prof Ben Burger, Laboratory for Ecological Chemistry, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa for providing 1-methyl-2,4-imidazolidinedione. Drs R. Jackson and A. Wilson carried out immobilizations. Samples were collected by the BPCT research team of L. Pfefo, M. Sarefo, B. Sango, A. Stein, F. Broekhuis, and G. Cozzi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul G Allen Family Foundation Laboratory for Wildlife Chemistry, Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana

    Peter Apps & Lesego Mmualefe

  2. Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Private Bag 13, Maun, Botswana

    J. Weldon McNutt

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  1. Peter Apps
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  2. Lesego Mmualefe
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  3. J. Weldon McNutt
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Correspondence to Peter Apps.

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Apps, P., Mmualefe, L. & McNutt, J.W. Identification of Volatiles from the Secretions and Excretions of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus). J Chem Ecol 38, 1450–1461 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0206-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-012-0206-7

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