Urine-marking and caching behaviour in the wolf (Canis lupus)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1981
Authors:Harrington, FH
Journal:Behaviour
Volume:76
Pagination:280-288
Date Published:1981
Keywords:Canis lupus
Abstract:

Urine-marking by Canis lupus never occurred when a cache was stocked, rarely occurred during later investigation if some food was still present, but usually occurred soon after the cache was emptied. The animal marking an empty cache was often not the one which had exploited it. Once an empty cache was marked it received little further attention, as opposed to caches that were empty but not urine-marked. Urine-marking may thus enhance foraging efficiency in wolves by signalling that a site contains no more edible food despite the presence of lingering food odors.

Taxonomic name: 
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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith