Previously undocumented scent-marking behaviour of three North American mesocarnivores

Abstract

Scent-marking, in which animals leave olfactory signals for transmission to other individuals, is a common form of animal communication. Documentation of such behaviour enables interpretation of wildlife sign and facilitates the study of animal ecology, biology, behaviour, and habitat use. We describe previously undocumented examples of scent-marking in three mesocarnivores: North American Badger (Taxidea taxus), Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), and Raccoon (Procyon lotor). We deployed video camera traps at unoccupied badger burrows in the Colorado Desert, USA, along wildlife trails and at a latrine in Yukon, Canada, and in the mixed pine and oak forest of Massachusetts, USA. Badgers scent-marked unoccupied burrows six times by placing hindquarters in the burrow entrance, raising the tail, pausing for several seconds, and departing, which is previously undocumented behaviour. We documented seven instances of lynx pedal scraping along wildlife trails and at the latrine, in which lynx alternately dragged each hind foot along the ground. We found a single description of lynx pedal scraping in the literature, but it occurred during an agonistic interaction between two competing males. Raccoons pedal scraped nine times at three sites. They alternately rubbed each hind foot against the substrate, a behaviour that we did not find described elsewhere. Understanding these behaviours, including where, when, and why they occur, will provide insight into the ecology and biology of these species, with possible implications for research, conservation, and management.