IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Allen, M.L.; Rovero, F.; Oberosler, V.; Augugliaro, C.; Krofel, M. | |
| Effects of snow leopards (_Panthera uncia_) on olfactory communication of Pallas's cats (_Otocolobus manul_) in the Altai Mountains, Mongolia | |
| 2023 Behaviour (1): 1-9 | |
Olfactory communication is important for many solitary carnivores to delineate territories and communicate with potential mates and competitors. Pallas's cats (_Otocolobus manul_) are small felids with little published research on their ecology and behaviour, including if they avoid or change behaviours due to dominant carnivores. We studied their olfactory communication and visitation at scent-marking sites using camera traps in two study areas in Mongolia. We documented four types of olfactory communication behaviours, and olfaction (sniffing) was the most frequent. Pallas's cats used olfactory communication most frequently at sites that were not visited by snow leopards (_Panthera uncia_) and when they used communal scent-marking sites, they were more likely to use olfactory communication when a longer time had elapsed since the last visit by a snow leopard. This suggests that Pallas's cats may reduce advertising their presence in response to occurrence of snow leopards, possibly to limit predation risk. |
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