Territorial Markers

Canids, such as wolves and coyotes, deposit urine and feces in key spots around their territory as "Keep Out" signs for potential intruders. They also leave pheromone-rich markers to alert themselves that they are back on their own turf after returning from a trip beyond.

To advertise sexual availability, some mammals, such as male rhinoceroses, stamp on or roll in their own urine. Similarly, camels mark their legs by swishing their tail while urinating. Male wapiti urinate directly on their belly, and billy goats ejaculate into their beard — all in the name of sexual attractiveness.

Mammalian scent glands are located around the mouth, eyes, paws, sex organ, anus and elsewhere. Domestic cats use the glands on their cheeks to mark trees, furniture and the pant legs of their favorite humans. Both wild and domestic felines have glands in their foot pads, leaving behind pheromone-rich scents when scratching objects to sharpen their claws. Many hoofed mammals, including deer and caribou, have inter-digital glands located between their hooves and leave a scent trail on the ground they walk over. Hyraxes and capybaras are alone in having scent glands on the skin of their back. Pigs have them on their knees.

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