Behavioral responses to own and other species' scent marks inLemur fulvus andLemur macaco

Behavioral responses (duration and frequencies of sniffing, scent marking activity) were studied in one captive group each ofL. fulvus andL. macaco when confronted with their own and other species' scent marks. Both species showed less interest in neutral objects or objects carrying their own group's odor than odors from an unfamiliar group of the same species or from another lemur species. The persistence of scent marks was also investigated.L. fulvus scent appeared to possess greater longevity thanL. macaco scent. Olfactory long-term memory was analyzed inL. fulvus. The results showed that familiar rejected group members could be discriminated from an unfamiliar conspecific through odor cues 10 months after their eviction from the group.