Use of faeces for scent marking in Iberian wolves (Canis lupus)

Abstract

The study of the characteristics of 232 wolf (Canis lupus) scats from northwestern Spain reveals that faeces were not left at random. They accumulated near trail junctions, where the probability of interception by other traveling wolves is maximal, and were commonly associated with evident reference points (i.e., ashes, decaying bark, isolated shrubs, carrion, promontories, etc.) that may visually or olfactorily increase the signal's effectiveness. The center of the trail was clearly preferred to the borders, facilitating location of the scat by other individuals. If one side of the trail was more exposed to the wind, scats accumulated more on that side than on the other, and their deposition on the trail margin may increase the radius of their influence even more. These results suggest that faeces may be more important for spacing among Iberian wolves than expected, considering the minor role assigned to the scats in most previous studies of wolf scent marking.