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Scent Over-Marking

How Do Hamsters Know Whose Scent Is on Top and Why Should It Matter?

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Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates

Abstract

Scent over-marking is a specialized type of marking behavior in which one individual places its scent so that it covers or partially covers previously deposited scents of conspecifics. In this chapter I first review our research that shows that golden hamsters have amazing abilities to analyze such over-marks to determine which individual’s scent is on top. Next I present experiments in which we examine how they do this. Finally, I briefly discuss the functions of over-marking and of the abilities to determine the top-scent individual.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, New York, USA

    Robert E. Johnston

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  1. Robert E. Johnston
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Robert E. Johnston

  2. College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York—Syracuse, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Dietland Müller-Schwarze

  3. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota—St. Paul, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

    Peter W. Sorensen

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Johnston, R.E. (1999). Scent Over-Marking. In: Johnston, R.E., Müller-Schwarze, D., Sorensen, P.W. (eds) Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4733-4_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4733-4_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7145-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4733-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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