Aversive responses of white-tailed deer,Odocoileus virginianus, to predator urines
- 1 April 1991
- journal article
- Published by Springer Nature in Journal of Chemical Ecology
- Vol. 17 (4), 767-777
- https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00994199
Abstract
We tested whether predator odors could reduce winter browsing of woody plants by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Urine from bobcats (Lyra rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) significantly reduced browsing of Japanese yews (Taxus cuspidata), and repellency was enhanced when urine was reapplied weekly as a topical spray. Urine of cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) and humans did not reduce damage, suggesting that deer do not respond aversively to odors of nonpredatory mammals or occasional predators with which they lack a long evolutionary association. Bobcat and coyote urine were more effective in tests conducted with eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), which is less palatable to white-tailed deer than Japanese yew. A dichloromethane extract of bobcat urine was as effective as unextracted urine in reducing damage to hemlocks. Testing of the organic components of bobcat urine, particularly the volatile components, may enable identification of the compounds responsible for the repellency we observed.Keywords
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Current and predicted long-term effects of deer browsing in hemlock forests in Michigan, USABiological Conservation, 1985
- The response of prey to Stoat (Mustela erminea) scentJournal of Zoology, 1984
- Anal sac secretion in mustelids a comparisonJournal of Chemical Ecology, 1983
- Anal gland secretion of the ferret (Mustela putorius formaFuro)Journal of Chemical Ecology, 1980
- Thietanes and dithiolanes from the anal gland of the stoat (Mustela erminea)Journal of Chemical Ecology, 1980
- Chemical Scent Constituents in the Urine of the Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes L.) During the Winter SeasonScience, 1978
- Volatile components of fermented egg, an animal attractant and repellentJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1978
- Preparation and evaluation of a synthetic fermented egg coyote attractant and deer repellentJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1978
- The Effect of Shrews on the Space Utilization of VolesJournal of Mammalogy, 1972
- Species-specific defense reactions and avoidance learning.Psychological Review, 1970