Vogt Kristina, Zimmermann Fridolin, Kölliker Mathias, Breitenmoser Urs
KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, Thunstrasse 31, CH-3074 Muri, Switzerland; Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology and Evolution, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland.
KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife Management, Thunstrasse 31, CH-3074 Muri, Switzerland.
Behav Processes. 2014 Jul;106:98-106. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.017. Epub 2014 May 6.
Scent-marking is widespread among mammals and has been observed in many felid species. Although the behaviour is well-described, little is known about its function in wild felid populations. We investigated patterns of scent-marking and its role in intra- and intersexual communication among resident and non-resident Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx by observing interactions among wild lynx at natural marking sites by means of infrared camera traps. Marking activity of resident animals showed a peak during the mating season and was lowest during the time when females gave birth and lactated. Both sexes scent-marked, but male lynx visited marking sites much more often than females and marked relatively more often when visiting a site. Most visits to marking sites were by residents but we also observed scent-marking by non-residents. Juveniles were never observed marking. We found no evidence of lynx regularly renewing scent-marks after a certain 'expiry date' but the presence of a strange scent-mark triggered over-marking. Males responded similarly to the presence of another individual's scent-mark, irrespective of whether it was the top- or the underlying scent-mark in a mixture of scent-marks they encountered. Our results suggest that marking sites could serve as 'chemical bulletin boards', where male lynx advertise their presence and gain information on ownership relationships in a given area. Females placed their urine marks on top of the ones left by resident males, but further studies are needed to explain the functions of over-marking in females.
气味标记在哺乳动物中很普遍，并且在许多猫科动物物种中都有观察到。尽管这种行为已有详细描述，但对于其在野生猫科动物种群中的功能却知之甚少。我们通过红外相机陷阱观察野生猞猁在自然标记地点的互动，研究了欧亚猞猁（Lynx lynx）中常住和非常住个体之间气味标记的模式及其在两性间和同性间交流中的作用。常住动物的标记活动在交配季节达到高峰，而在雌性产仔和哺乳期间最低。两性都会进行气味标记，但雄性猞猁比雌性更频繁地光顾标记地点，并且在光顾时标记的频率相对更高。对标记地点的大多数访问是由常住个体进行的，但我们也观察到了非常住个体的气味标记。从未观察到幼崽进行标记。我们没有发现猞猁在某个“过期日期”后定期更新气味标记的证据，但奇怪气味标记的出现会引发过度标记。雄性对另一个体气味标记的存在反应相似，无论它是它们遇到的气味标记混合物中的上层还是下层气味标记。我们的结果表明，标记地点可以作为“化学公告板”，雄性猞猁在那里宣传它们的存在，并获取给定区域内所有权关系的信息。雌性会将尿液标记在常住雄性留下的标记之上，但需要进一步研究来解释雌性过度标记的功能。
