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The Social Function of Latrines: A Hypothesis-Driven Research Approach

Conference paper
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Abstract

The function of latrines is still debated in many mammals, and in most cases latrine use is likely multi-functional. Functional hypotheses can be broadly divided into five categories that are not all mutually exclusive: resource defence, information centre/advertisement, landmarks/orientation, parasite control, or predator–prey interactions. To standardise all investigations into latrine function across species, we present a hypothesis-driven research framework based on the following five key categories of data that can, and we argue should, be collected from latrines: (1) spatial distribution patterns; (2) temporal usage patterns; (3) individual visitation and contribution patterns (to individual latrines); (4) behaviour of visitors; and (5) scent signal content and longevity. We suggest that our proposed approach offers a much-needed standardised structure to guide investigation into the function of latrine use in mammals.

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Copyright information

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Wildlife Conservation Research UnitUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
  2. 2.Centre for Ecosystem ScienceUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
  3. 3.Taronga Conservation Society AustraliaTaronga Western Plains Zoo, Wildlife Reproduction CentreDubboAustralia
  4. 4.Botswana Predator Conservation TrustMaunBotswana

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