Sniffing behaviors in Mahale chimpanzees.
Although it is difficult for observers to determine how non-human primates use olfaction in a natural environment, sniffing is one clue. In this study, the sniffing behaviors of wild chimpanzees were divided into six categories, and sex differences were found in most categories. Males sniffed more frequently than females in sexual and social situations, while females sniffed more often during feeding and self-checking. Chimpanzees sniffed more frequently during the dry season than during the wet season, presumably due to the low humidity. This suggests that the environment affects olfactory use by chimpanzees and that chimpanzees easily gather new information from the ground via sniffing.
Matsumoto-Oda
Akiko
A
Department of Welfare and Culture, Okinawa University, 555 Kokuba, Naha, Okinawa, 902-8521, Japan. matumoto@okinawa-u.ac.jp
Kutsukake
Nobuyuki
N
Hosaka
Kazuhiko
K
Matsusaka
Takahisa
T
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior