Assessing the scent marking behaviour of wild brown bears: an exploration of time and energy investment, motor patterns and age-related development

• Main Authors: Clapham, Melanie, Nevin, Owen, Ramsey, Andrew D., Rosell, Frank
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: 599 Mammals; Ursus arctos
• Online Access: http://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/3564/; https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/3564/1/Clapham_AssessingTheScent.pdf; https://www.bearbiology.com/events/iba-conferences/

Members of the order Carnivora employ a wide range of postures and stereotyped patterns to mark their scent onto objects and thereby communicate with conspecifics. Despite much anecdotal evidence on the marking behaviour of ursids, empirical evidence of scent marking motor patterns displayed by wild populations is lacking. Analysing the time bears spend at marking trees and the behaviours involved, could provide further insight into the function of marking and highlight time and energy investment. Over a three year period, camera traps stationed at marking trees were used to investigate scent marking and investigatory behaviour by wild brown bears Ursus arctos in coastal British Columbia. This work follows on from data presented at the 18th, 19th & 20th IBA conferences.