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Variation in stimulus, seasonal context, and response to urine marks by captive Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus)

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Abstract

Urine marking behaviour was observed over 14 months in two captive pairs of Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) by means of behaviour sampling. The study focused on the relative attractiveness of the different stimuli toward which urinations are directed, the seasonal context of urine marking, and the response by mates to sexually dimorphic action patterns. Kinds of marked substrates varied according to the posture used by wolves to urinate [raised-leg urination (RLU), flexed-leg urination (FLU), standing urination (STU), or squat urination (SQU)]. In RLUs and FLUs the wolves mainly used conspicuous substrates, whereas STUs and SQUs were carried out directly onto inconspicuous substrates. Wolves urinated on plants more than on other substrates, mostly selecting trees. A selection of trees according to their trunk diameter was also observed. The posts were chosen or avoided seemingly because of their specific characteristics such as size. In short, wolves marked with urine (RLUs and FLUs) those substrates that secured a greater effectiveness of marking. The mean duration of RLUs was lower than that of FLUs and SQUs. The rate of RLUs in males increased in winter (November–December) and in summer (July–August), while the rate of FLUs and SQUs in females and STUs in males did not increase during these periods. The wolves investigated RLUs more frequently than SQUs. The RLU display appears to be more ancestral than derived, similar in all species of canids and even in the Iberian wolf.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the director and personnel of Zoo-Aquarium de Madrid, who provided us with all the facilities to take data at the enclosures. Particular thanks to Enrique Sainz and Manuel López. They were always kind and shared indispensable information with us about the animals and their enclosures. We also want to thank the animal keepers for their continuous collaboration. Thanks also to Kara Daly and Rocío Gonzaléz for revising the translation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Zoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Isabel Barja Núñez & Francisco Javier de Miguel

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  1. Isabel Barja Núñez
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  2. Francisco Javier de Miguel
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Correspondence to Isabel Barja Núñez.

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Communicated by M.E. dos Santos

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Barja Núñez, I., de Miguel, F.J. Variation in stimulus, seasonal context, and response to urine marks by captive Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus). acta ethol 7, 51–57 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-004-0101-5

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