Chemical scent constituents in feces of wild Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus)

Martı́n, José; Barja, Isabel; López, Pílar

doi:10.1016/j.bse.2010.10.014

Cited by 55 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…It is distinct from other sensory channels such as vision or somatosensation as odor traces can be perceived by a recipient in the presence or absence of the sender. Body odor can contain various information, for instance, species, sex, and female reproductive state (spotted Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, ), and striped hyenas, Hyaena hyaena ; Linnaeus, ; Theis et al, ), individual identity (humans; Penn et al, ), or age (Iberian wolves, Canis lupus signatus ; Latorre, ; Martín, Barja, & López, ). Regarding primates, previous research focused mainly on Strepsirrhines, which often scent‐mark using odorous gland secretions for social communication (e.g., in ring‐tailed lemurs, Lemur catta ; Linnaeus, ; Boulet, Charpentier, & Drea, ; Scordato, Dubay, & Drea, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative chemical analysis of body odor in great apes

Jänig

Weiß

Birkemeyer

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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Olfaction is important across the animal kingdom for transferring information on, for example, species, sex, group membership, or reproductive parameters. Its relevance has been established in primates including humans, yet research on great apes still is fragmentary. Observational evidence indicates that great apes use their sense of smell in various contexts, but the information content of their body odor has not been analyzed.Our aim was therefore to compare the chemical composition of body odor in great ape species, namely Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii (Lesson, 1827), one adult male, five adult females, four nonadults), Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847), one adult male, two adult females, one nonadult), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775), four adult males, nine adult females, four nonadults), and bonobos (Pan paniscus (Schwarz, 1929), two adult males, four adult females, two nonadults). We collected 195 samples (five per individual) of 39 captive individuals using cotton swabs and analyzed them using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. We compared the sample richness and intensity, similarity of chemical composition, and relative abundance of compounds. Results show that species, age, and potentially sexhave an impact on the variance between odor profiles. Richness and intensity varied significantly between species (gorillas having the highest, bonobos the lowest richness and intensity), and with age (both increasing with age). Richness and intensity did not vary between sexes. Odor samples of the same species were more similar to each other than samples of different species. Among all compounds identified some were associated with age (N = 7), sex (N = 6), and species-related (N = 37) variance. Our study contributes to the basic understanding of olfactory communication in hominids by showing that the chemical composition of body odor varies across species and individuals, containing potentially important information for social communication.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative chemical analysis of body odor in great apes

Jänig

Weiß

Birkemeyer

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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“…Fresh faeces used for the treatment were obtained from captive red foxes (one male and one female) on a carnivorous diet from the Centro de Naturaleza Opennature Cañada Real (Peralejo, Madrid). We considered as fresh faeces only those ones with a layer of mucus, an elevated level of hydration and strong odour [53, 54], and all faecal samples were frozen at −20 ºC until treatment preparation. Seasonal and individual factors are known to influence volatile compounds variation among individuals [55, 56, 57, 58] so, to guarantee homogenization (providing a similar degree of predation risk in all the treated traps, and therefore) and avoiding possible result bias, all collected red fox faeces were properly mixed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resourceful mice do not starve: feeding efforts and decision-making process under a restricted unknown food source

Hernández

Navarro-Castilla

Barja

2019

Preprint

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23Foraging decisions must balance the energy gained, the time investment and the 24 influence of key environmental factors. In our work, we aimed to examine the 25 importance of predation risk cues and experience in the feeding efforts and decision-26 making process when a novel food resource is presented. To achieve this, free ranging 27 wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus were live-trapped in "Monte de Valdelatas" (Madrid) 28 by setting 80 Sherman traps in 4 plots. Traps were subjected to two food access 29 difficulties three-night consecutive treatments: open plastic bottles and closed bottles, 30 both using corn as bait. To generate predation risk, we set fox faeces in half of the traps 31 in each plot. Also, we considered indirect predator cues as the moon phase. We analyse 32 whether mice had bitten the bottles and the area gnawed of each bottle was measured. 33 We discovered that mice feeding decisions and efforts were driven by food access 34 difficulty, experience and predation risk. The ability of mice to properly balance their 35 energy budget was probed since they bit and performed bigger orifices in the closed 36 bottles, hence, individuals can adapt the feeding effort when a new food source is 37 available. Moreover, experience was determinant in the use of this new resource since 38 recaptured mice gnawed the bottles more successfully and the skill was improved each 39 time an individual was recaptured. Additionally, direct predation risk cues prompt mice 40 to bite the bottles whereas the effect of different moon phases varied among the 41 treatments. This is the first study that provides direct evidence of wild mice formidable 42 efficacy to exploit a new nutrient resource while deepening in crucial environmental 43 factors that shape decision-making procedure. 44 Keywords 45 Apodemus sylvaticus, food access, energy budget, predation risk, decision making, 46 learning, moonlight 48 Wild animals must cope with unpredictable environmental demands. In this 49 particular setting, choices made by animals when selecting food and regulating intake 50 aim to satisfy their specific levels of nutrient requirements [1, 2, 3]. The variable time 51 and space food availability challenge animals to select the type of food which best 52 meets their nutrient demands and to evaluate if it counterbalances the energetic effort 53 they have to make to obtain it [4]. These changeable environmental conditions have led 54 to the development of a wide array of adaptations to efficiently satisfy the energetic 55 requirements of all life forms [5, 6, 7], making possible for them to exploit and utilize 56 heterogeneous food sources. The mechanisms which underlay feeding choices are rather 57 diverse, being both endogenous and environmental factors involved in the decision 58 process [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. It is known that animals possess the ability to learn about the 59 characteristics of the items in their diet and that feeding choices are experience 60 dependent [12, 13, 14, 15, 16]. In this manner, experience and learning ...

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“…The persistent activity was probably due to the release of feces odor over a long time period, or the active components may not be highly volatile chemicals found in raw feces. The presence of high molecular weight chemicals in feces are more stable and will remain unaltered in feces for longer times than other highly volatile compounds found in the anal-sac or the urine (Martin et al, 2010). In this study, we tested the repellent effect of lion feces, feces extracts, and the extract of dried lion feces on captive sika deer by presenting the sample and measuring the passage of deer through an experimental gate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lion (Panthera Leo) Feces Deter Passage of Sika Deer (Cervus Nippon)

Ohashi¹,

Nishi²,

Deguchi³

et al. 2018

JALS

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We tested whether lion (Panthera leo) feces, the extract of lion feces, the extract of dried lion feces, and the fractions separated from the extract could have a repellent effect on sika deer (Cervus nippon). Two gates were set up in an experimental pen of sika deer and one of the two gates was treated with either lion feces, feces extract, or fractions separated from the feces extract, and the number of passages of sika deer through the gate was counted. The sika deer decreased the number of passages through the treated gates, indicating that lion feces acted as a repellent to deter the movement of the deer. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the major constituents of the most effective fraction, which was separated from the extract of dried lion feces, were fatty acids, aliphatic alcohols, aliphatic aldehydes, fatty acid amides, and steroids.

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Chemical scent constituents in feces of wild Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus)

Cited by 55 publications

References 28 publications

Comparative chemical analysis of body odor in great apes

Comparative chemical analysis of body odor in great apes

Resourceful mice do not starve: feeding efforts and decision-making process under a restricted unknown food source

Lion (Panthera Leo) Feces Deter Passage of Sika Deer (Cervus Nippon)

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