title: Chromatographic analysis of species specific odor profiles inMastomys natalensis andM. coucha (Rodentia: Muridae).
abstract: Whole-body volatiles from males of the cryptic multimammate mouse speciesMastomys natalensis andM. coucha were analyzed by dynamic solvent effect sampling and capillary gas chromatography. One compound, 3-nonene-2-one, was always present, sometimes as the major component, in volatiles fromM. coucha and absent, or present only at low levels, in volatiles fromM. natalensis. The mean ±SD of the 3-nonen-2-one peak area forM. coucha was 8599 ±9630 and forM. natalensis 148 ±486. Chromatographic analysis was more reliable in identifying a male's species than were a female's in a two-choice olfactorium.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Chromatography, University of Pretoria, 0002, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Apps
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Viljoen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pretorius