Chemical Communication and Scent Marking in Mammals

Chemical communication underpins social interactions, reproductive success and territorial organisation across mammalian taxa. Through specialised secretions from glandular tissues—apocrine, sebaceous or eccrine—individuals deposit complex mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) onto substrates or into the air. These odours convey information on species identity, sex, reproductive status, dominance and individual identity. Scent marking behaviours include rubbing, scraping, rolling and pedal marking, often reinforced by a flehmen response to draw odours into the vomeronasal organ. In solitary and social species alike, persistent odours form communication hubs that enable animals to exchange information without direct encounters. Emerging techniques in chemical profiling and behavioural observation are revealing how microbiota shape odour pathways, how marking strategies vary with population density, and how these signals guide mate choice, competition avoidance and population monitoring.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent work on brown bear skin-borne secretions has characterised the VOC profiles of cutaneous glandular secretions across age and sex classes, demonstrating that mature males emit fewer but more consistent compounds, while compound richness varies by individual and body site, supporting age-sex and individual recognition in a non-territorial carnivore. Histological and chemical analyses of pedal glands in brown bears revealed apocrine and sebaceous glands in interdigital skin and a suite of carboxylic acids in pedal secretions, with males exhibiting sex-specific compounds and a distinct marking gait, confirming a role for footpads in long-range chemical signalling. Investigations of Sunda clouded leopards in the wild have recorded ten distinct scent-marking behaviours—including scraping and cheek rubbing—at communal sites visited repeatedly by males, indicating multi-male information exchange and convergent marking strategies among solitary felids.

Chemical Communication and Scent Marking in Mammals publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in chemical communication and scent marking in mammals across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Low-molecular-weight chemicals that readily evaporate at ambient temperatures, forming odour cues.
Pedal glands: Glandular structures in footpads producing secretions used for scent marking via foot pressing.
Flehmen response: Lip-curling behaviour that facilitates transfer of odours to the vomeronasal organ for chemical analysis.
Scent rolling: Behaviour in which an animal rubs its body against a substrate bearing odours to acquire or distribute scent.
Olfactory enrichment: Introduction of novel odours into an animal’s environment to stimulate natural exploratory and marking behaviours.

References

1. Brown bear skin-borne secretions display evidence of individuality and age-sex variation. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Histological, chemical and behavioural evidence of pedal communication in brown bears. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Scent marking in Sunda clouded leopards (Neofelis diardi): novel observations close a key gap in understanding felid communication behaviours. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Preliminary Study of Scent Rolling in Captive Wolves (Canis lupus L. 1758) in Response to Olfactory Enrichment. Biology (2024).
5. Symbiotic microbiota and odor ensure mating in time for giant pandas. Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).