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P A G E 1 4
Territorial Scent Marking in Wild Silky Sifakas
Continued
Results showed that the spatial pattern of the adult
males’ and adult females’ scent marks (considered
separately) did deviate from expected distributions based
upon intensity of use (Male: G=57.6, p<.0001; Female:
G=12.5, p<.0001) but not area (Male: G=1.5, p>.05;
Female: G=3.4, p>.05). The territorial function of silky
sifaka scent marks has therefore been supported to some
extent. 36.8% of the adult males’ marks and 31.0% of the
adult females’ marks occurred in the territory periphery
but only 24.6% of range points occurred in the periphery.
The effect is statistically significant although the pattern
only moderate as silky sifakas frequently scent mark the
core of their territory (see Figure on p.13); indeed they
seem to mark everywhere they go. Further analyses will
be conducted to determine if the extent of perimeter
marking varies with male scent mark type or urine
deposition by males and females.
The author thanks Dr. Anne Mertl-Millhollen for
comments on a previous version of this manuscript.
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V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1
S A V A C O N S E R V A T I O N
Gouge marks on tree trunks from bark-biting by silky sifakas (top) in Maro-
jejy NP and male Milne-Edwards' sifakas (bottom) in Ialatsara Reserve.
Bark-biting is a male-only behavior that immediately precedes chest scent
marking (on the gouged spot). Bark is almost never consumed.