Chemical investigations of wolf (Canis lupus) anal-sac secretion in relation to breeding season.

The volatile constituents of wolf anal-sac secretions were examined via capillary gas chromatography and compared among intact males, females, castrate males, ovariectomized females, and anosmic and pinealectomized males and females. Some chemical compounds were deemed significantly different (t test, 95% confidence level) among the groups both during and outside of the mating season, implying that the volatile components of anal-sac secretion can be used to communicate information regarding gender or endocrine state. As a result of treating the anal sac with antibiotics, some of these compounds, including 1-octen-3-ol and indole, were implicated as being products of microbial action. In addition, short-chain carboxylic acids were investigated and essentially no significant variations were seen among the groups.