IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Barja, I.; de Miguel, F.J. | |
| Chemical comunication in large carnivores: urine-marking frequencies in captive tigers and lions | |
| 2010 Polish Journal of Ecology (58): 397-400 | |
Environmental and social pressures can result in interspecies differences in marking behaviours. There is a strong relationship between marking behaviour and the environment. Therefore, closely related species that show behavioural differences in the wild may have different scent marking strategies. We conducted a comparative study of the urine-marking behaviours of tigers and lions in captivity (Madrid Zoo, open enclosures of 514 m2 and 730 m2 respectively, observations of 8 animals for each species). These two closely related species have different natural habitats. We observed interspecific differences in the rates, seasonal variations, and durations of the urine-marking acts. The marking rate was higher in tigers, which also showed seasonal variations not observed in lions. The duration of urine marking was lower in tigers than in lions. These differences seem to correspond to differences between tigers and lions in terms of their natural habitats (forest areas vs open areas), social organizations (solitary vs social), and reproductive biology patterns (seasonal polyoestrous vs annual polyoestrous). |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |