Sand bathing in kangaroo rats Dipodomys spectabilis
Laine H and Griswold JG. 1976. Sand bathing in kangaroo rats Dipodomys spectabilis. Journal of Mammalogy. 57(2):408-410
The study was untertaken to test the general hypothesis that deposits left by sandbathing function in intraspecific communication of the bannertail kangaroo rat, D.spectabilis. Whether odors left on the substrate of one animal influence the choice of sandbathing locus by another was determined. Under the conditions male and female kangaroo rats bathed with equal frequency following male depositors. However, in following females, males showed significantly more rubs than female responders. The data support the hypothesis that deposits left at sandbathing loci by D. spectabilis have a communicatory function. Both sexes are strongly attracted loci previously used by conspecifics. Differences in the frequencies of sandbathing behavior indicate that both males and females are able to distinguish the sex of an earlier user.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Laine, H.; Griswold, J.
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Mammalia (Mammals)