Coyote estrous urine volatiles

Abstract

Samples of female coyote urine were taken once or twice each week during the winter and spring for two years. Headspace analysis was employed with Tenax GC trapping and GC-MS. Tenax trapping was started in less than 1 hr after sampling, and mild conditions were used to minimize losses of highly volatile and labile compounds. Thirty-four compounds were identified. They include sulfur compounds, aldehydes and ketones, hydrocarbons, and one alcohol. The principal constituent is methyl 3-methylbut-3-enyl sulfide, which usually comprised 50% or more of the total volatiles observed. The concentration of many constituents varied widely. This appeared to be quasiperiodic for five of the constituents, with a period of a few weeks, and with pronounced maxima at the peak of estrus. Apparently these compounds are 3-methyltetrahydrothiophene, methyl 3-methylbutyl sulfide, octanal, dodecanal, and bis(3-methylbut-3-enyl) disulfide. One or more of these compounds may have pheromonal activity in coyote relationships.

Identification of vertebrate volatiles stimulating olfactory receptors on tarsus I of the tick Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius (Ixodidae)

“…Unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes are reported from goats (Smith et al 1984), human breath (Krotoszynski et al 1977), and the rabbit (Goodrich 1983), and saturated aliphatic aldehydes occur in the dog anal sac (Natynczuk et al 1989), coyote urine (Schultz et al 1988), skin glands of various bovidae (Burger et al 1981), anal and chin glands of the rabbit (Goodrich 1983), human effluvia (Ellin et al 1974;Goetz et al 1988;Krotoszynski et al 1977), and human axillary secretion (Labows et al 1979b). The type 1 responds best to both saturated and unsaturated C 6 aliphatic aldehydes, the type 2 to saturated C6 and C 7 aliphatic aldehydes, and the type 3 to unsaturated C 6 and C7 aliphatic aldehydes.…”

Feeding Responses to Predator‐Based Repellents in the Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia Rufa)

“…Coyote urine and the following synthetic predator scent constituents were used as test stimuli: LV-Isopentenyl methyl sulfide (IMS); 2,2-dimethylthietane (DMT); 2-propylthietane (PT); 3-propyl-1 ,2-dithiolane (PDT). IMS is the major volatile constituent of coyote urine (Schultz et al 1988). It is also found in urine from wolf (Raymer et al 1984), domestic dog (Schultz et al 1985), and red fox , Bailey et al 1980, and in mink anal sac fluid (Sokolov et al 1980).…”

“…Sulfur-containing compounds are ubiquitous in urine, feces, and anal sac fluids of carnivores and are widely aversive to herbivores. Urine and feces from canids and felids contain a number of sulfur compounds, in many cases methylalkyl or methylaryl sulfides (red fox, Vulpes vulpes: Jorgenson et al 1978, Bailey et al 1980, Vernet-Maury 1980wolf, Canis lupus: Raymer et al 1984;coyote: Murphy et al 1978, Schultz et al 1988; domestic dog, Canis familiaris: Schultz et al 1985;bobcat, Felis rufus: Mattina et al 1991;domestic cat, Felis cattus: Mattina et al 1991;lion, Panthera leo: Abbott et al 1990). Anal sac fluids from mustelids (Andersen and Bernstein 1980, Crump 1980a, b, Sokolov et al 1980, Schildknecht et al 1981, Brinck et al 1983) and hyaenids (Wheeler et al 1975, Buglass et al 1990) also contain sulfur constituents, among them heterocycles such as thiolanes and thietanes.…”

Dimethyl trisulphide is a strong attractant for some calliphorids and a muscid but not for the reindeer oestrids Hypoderma tarandi and Cephenemyia trompe

“…The fact that no species of Tachinidae or Sarcophagidae were caught in the traps, supports this possibility because these families are more distantly related to both Calliphoridae and Oestridae than the two latter are to each other (Pape, 1992). Dimethyl trisulphide has been isolated and identified from a broad spectrum of materials (e. g. Soni & Finch, 1979;Schultz et al, 1988;Evensen, 1992;Borg-Karlson et al, 1994). On the other hand, one Muscidae species (H. anxia) was also attracted to dimethyl trisulphide (Table 2).…”

“…Both dimethyl disulphide and dimethyl trisulphide are among the many compounds in the 'spoilage odours' produced by bacteria (Gill, 1982). Dimethyl trisulphide has been isolated and identified from a broad spectrum of materials (e. g. Soni & Finch, 1979;Schultz et al, 1988;Evensen, 1992;Borg-Karlson et al, 1994). Thus, this compound is almost ubiquitous, and is by no means specific for reindeer.…”