Preliminary characterization of volatile organic compounds in African clawless otter Aonyx capensis spraint

Abstract

Chemical communication plays an important role in mate selection, territoriality, resource guarding, parental care and disease transmission in many taxa. Studies investigating olfactory communication and scent communication in wild animal populations are rare. To date there has been no analysis of the odours encoded in African clawless otter anal gland secretions. The volatile organic compound profiles of 14 wild African clawless otter anal gland secretion and faecal samples were investigated to determine the composition of odour profiles and infer on the potential role of particular compounds. Faecal and anal gland secretions were analysed through gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Across all samples a total of 73 compounds were found of which a total of 34 were provisionally identified. Nine of the identified compounds function as sex pheromones and/or reproductive status signals in other vertebrates, suggesting that African clawless otter latrines likely also play an important role in reproductive communication between individuals of the species. Further studies matching the identities of known individual African clawless otters and their reproductive status with the olfactory characteristics of their spraint are required to further validate the interpretations reported here.