Misidentification by wild rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,of group members carrying the odor of foreign inguinal gland secretion

The results of experiments designed to clarify the behavioral function of the odor of the secretion from the inguinal glands of rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus, are presented. Members of groups of female rabbits were smeared with odoriferous materials, and the behavior of their penmates towards them was recorded. Eight sources of natural rabbit odors and a commercial perfume were used in 180 tests involving 120 adult female wild-type rabbits. A high proportion of the animals smeared with the inguinal gland secretions from unfamiliar females were attacked by their pen-mates. In contrast, treatment with inguinal gland secretions from unfamiliar male rabbits; macerated inguinal gland materials from unfamiliar males and females, respectively; urine from unfamiliar females; and macerated anal gland material from unfamiliar females resulted in only minor disruption to the normal social relationships between the group members which was not significantly different to that caused by treatment with a commercial perfume.