Rubbing behavior of European brown bears: factors affecting rub tree selectivity and density.

ABSTRACT: Scent-mediated communication is considered the principal communication channel in many mammal species. Compared with visual and vocal communication, odors persist for a longer time, enabling individuals to interact without being in the same place at the same time. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), like other mammals, carries out chemical communication, for example, by means of scents deposited on marking (or rub) trees. In this study, we assessed rub tree selectivity of the brown bear in the predominantly deciduous forests of the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). We first compared the characteristics of 101 brown bear rub trees with 263 control trees. We then analyzed the potential factors affecting the density of rub trees along 35 survey routes along footpaths. We hypothesized that: (

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Bernardo E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8189685 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature