Feb. 26, 2009 -- Wolves do not do their business in any old place, but they instead choose locations that maximize visual impact and odor distribution, according to a new study that may also help to explain why dogs frequently relieve themselves on fire hydrants and other prominent urban landscape features. The study is the first to examine the physical characteristics of substrates that wild wolves choose for what is called "fecal marking," when an individual's feces can provide information to others about territory control, identity, mating status, foraging efficiency and more. While feces odor dispersal via wind appears to be a factor, author Isabel Barja told Discovery News, "The results of the study indicate that in wolves, visual aspects govern the choice of plants for fecal marking." Barja, an Autonomous University of Madrid zoologist, inspected wolf scat in a mountainous region of Spain's northwest Iberian Peninsula. The area is occupied by at least two Iberian wolf packs containing nine to 10 individuals and multiple lone wolves. Related Content:
During the study, 101 wolf scats were identified on plants, with 74.8 percent of them placed on conspicuous substrates, indicating they served a marking function. Computer analysis of these choices revealed that plant selection by wolves was not random, with the wily animals consistently defecating on plants of a certain diameter, height and species. Barja said that, "the wolves select positively only poplar-leaved rock rose, Spanish white broom and maritime pine for fecal marking." These are plants that can match wolf heights and also that "stood out against the homogeneous background of more common plants." She never observed foliage that was killed or even damaged by such marking, but sometimes up to three wolves would defecate on a single, "popular" plant. The findings are outlined in a paper published in this month's Animal Behavior. Where the plants grew was also important. Human-constructed roads wind through the areas where the wolves roam. Taking advantage of these, wolves would defecate on certain plants at crossroads. "Since crossroads are multi-directional, scats placed at them have a higher probability of being detected," Barja explained. "Wolves can reach these points from different directions and are therefore more likely to encounter them." The same logic may explain why dogs often do their business at particular places when on walks with their owners. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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