Abstract
Olfaction plays an important role in the social communication of all prosimians. (The experiment reported in this paper forms part of an intensive chemobehavioral study of olfaction in Lemur catta (ring-tailed lemur) being carried out in this laboratory.) Five male Lemur cattawere tested on their behavioral responses to paired scent stimuli. Responses measured were (1) total investigation time, (2) arm-marking, (3) ABO/BO rubbing, and (4) flehmen. Males showed a strong discrimination between the scent stimuli,giving higher levels of response to female scent on measures 1, 3, and 4. This response suggests an olfactory-related preference by males for female scent under controlled conditions. This preference may be a consequence of the females’ dominance over males and the brevity of estrus in L. catta,both of which would favor such choice behavior.
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Dugmore, S.J., Bailey, K. & Evans, C.S. Discrimination by male ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) between the scent marks of male and those of female conspecifics. Int J Primatol 5, 235–245 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02735759
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02735759