Abstract
In three sets of experiments, a group of captive Ring-tailed lemurs ranging at liberty were presented with sticks scent-marked with their own scent, or with scent from unrelated animals or unmarked sticks. The results from experiments which involved a choice between scents indicated stronger responses, in terms of greater intensity of scent-marking to scent from “strange” animals. In the experiment where individual scents were presented one at a time, the length of time spent sniffing was greater for “strange” scent but this did not transfer to additional scent-marks. Most of the responses were elicited from males in the group and involved wrist-marking only, but timing of experiment influenced both responses and type of scent-mark probably in relation to the onset of oestrus. The role of scent-marking and the concept of group scent are also discussed.
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Ramsay, N.F., Giller, P.S. Scent-marking in ring-tailed lemurs: Responses to the introduction of “foreign” scent in the home range. Primates 37, 13–23 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382916
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02382916