Conclusions
- The present study shows that the odour of the tiger marking fluid component 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline elicited the same degree of interest in tigers as the odour of conspecific urine. Additionally, the results show that a single compound can be as effective in eliciting behavioural responses as a complex chemical mixture containing several odorants.
- In contrast, lions interacted significantly more often with conspecific urine than with 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. These results support the notion that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is a species-specific olfactory communication signal for tigers.
- Furthermore, conspecific odours presented on wooden logs have been assessed to be suitable to be used as environmental enrichment for captive tigers and lions.
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Last updated:
05/16/18